Never too far away
by msmatt
Summary: RM focused with subplots on SS, SK, and JN and a few other characters. Starts at the end of The Graduates Marissa does not die, but she hears unexpected news at the airport.
1. Chapter 1

"Never too far away"

A/N This story starts at the end of "The Graduates" episode as Ryan is driving Marissa to the airport. Volchek is in pursuit, but he is keeping his distance, for now.

Chapter I : Goodbye Girl

The car was eerily silent as Ryan pulled into the airport parking lot. He searched quickly for a spot, and sighed in relief when he found one. He didn't want Marissa to be late and miss her plane. Actually, he did, but now wasn't the right time to tell her that. She needed to go out, see the world, get her life together….and, then maybe, maybe they could be together again.

He looked over to see her staring helplessly out the window. She looked so scared and unsure of the future that it made his protective nature want to reach out and shield her from any hurt that life could bring her. But, he knew that he couldn't do that forever. Marissa was a big girl, and she was going to have to figure this one out by herself.

As she felt his eyes rest upon her, she hurriedly wiped away a stray tear and looked at him. His eyes….God, she had spent so many years dreaming about those piercing eyes….haunting her when she needed it the most. Now, what was she going to do when those eyes were no longer living next door or down the street? Could she bear living with those eyes being half a world away? Marissa shook her head, knowing that this had to happen this way if they ever wanted a real chance at making it as a couple. She knew that if they had jumped right back into being together, something would have gotten in the way, and their vicious cycle of happiness and hurt would never end. But, that didn't make it any easier to leave him.

"You ready?" he said softly, hoping that she hadn't heard him so that they wouldn't have to leave the car.

"Yeah," she muttered, gazing at the airport gates.

They both got out of the Range Rover and began walking towards the entrance. Ryan had grabbed most of her bags, while Marissa was busy checking the flight information on her ticket.

"Geez, Cooper…..don't they have washing machines in Greece?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

She smiled as she noticed that he wasn't really having a hard time with her bags. He was just trying to give her a hard time……and, she was going to miss that about him.

"Hey….be glad you aren't Seth….you should've seen her packing list for Brown!"

Ryan grinned as he imagined Seth trying to haul all of Summer's luggage into that seedy motel on their trip to Tijuana all those years ago. Man….it seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Yeah….you remember that dirty motel on our TJ trip?"

Marissa thought back fondly to that time when the four of them were just becoming the Fantastic Four. Then, she quickly remembered just how horrible that trip had been for her. Her parents were getting divorced, her boyfriend was cheating on her with her friend, and she overdosed on pills. Her face quickly fell at these hard memories. Ryan saw this change in her, and mentally kicked himself for bringing it up.

"Of course….who could forget that trip?"

Ryan put her bags down and closed the gap between them. He gently put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her willing body into his embrace. She felt so good…that familiar lavender and vanilla shampoo radiating into his nostrils. He stroked her hair, and, as she nuzzled into his neck, he could feel her tears seeping through his shirt. His eyes, too, began to water, but he knew he had to be strong for her.

"Hey…hey….," he said as he pulled away to look her in the eyes, "this is not forever, right? I want you to know that you can come back whenever you are ready."

She knew that if she asked him to, that he would wait for her return and not be with anyone else while she was away. But, as much as she wanted to ask him to, she couldn't ask that of him when she was the one leaving. He hadn't asked that of her when he had gone back to Chino. She sighed as she felt his fingers brush away her tears, only to be replaced with fresh ones.

"I know….it's just…"

She couldn't find the words to say everything that was circulating inside of her at that moment. Fear, excitement, loneliness, wonder. He nodded, understanding her without her having to say anything. That was another thing that she was going to miss….how it seemed that they communicated without needing to use words.

"I'll wait for you," he said.

Her heart stopped beating for a moment, trying to make sure that he had really just said that. All of her insecurities and doubts….he had sensed them, and he knew exactly what to do to make her feel better. But, then she began to feel guilty. What if she asked him to wait and he ended up passing up a really great opportunity for her? She couldn't live with that.

"No…Ryan…I couldn't ask you to do that…" she began, but he interrupted her.

"You didn't ask. I had already decided. Maybe it's time for me to focus on school….and….other things…."

This brought a slight smile to Marissa's face. She knew that Ryan was right. They both should put relationships on the back burner for a while and concentrate on other things. Now that she thought about it, neither of them had had a time since they met where they hadn't been with someone. All of those other people who had tried to invade into their relationship….Oliver….Lindsay….Johnny….Theresa….Trey….they were all gone now. But, Ryan was still there. This made her feel more comfortable with leaving, because in her heart, she knew that no matter where they lived or what happened, they would always find their way back to each other. She looked into his eyes again and grabbed him tightly.

"I'm so sorry…" she cried, "for everything. For Johnny….Oliver….god everything…."

Ryan gently cupped her face with his hands. He wanted to emphasize how important it was to him that they forgive each other.

"Listen, you have nothing to be sorry about. We both made mistakes…and, we can't change them. Believe me, if I could, I would go back and I would have never slept with Theresa. But, I can't. And, we can't keep beating ourselves up for these things that we have no control over."

She knew by the seriousness in his voice that he needed her to stop blaming herself for everything that had happened. That he didn't want to see her hurting anymore. As his words seeped in, she finally decided that it was time to let the past go.

"Okay….I'll try…"

"That's all I want," he said, "I love you, and that's all that matters."

As he admitted this to her, he couldn't help but feel a little vulnerable as to her reaction. He knew she loved him, but he wasn't sure if she could say it now, as it would make it that much harder to leave him. She could see him begin to doubt whether he should have kept his mouth shut, and she reassured him that she felt the same by slowly, softly leaning in and kissing him. All of his tensions were washed away at that moment, as he felt every emotion she had for him come through that kiss.

Just as he felt as though their moment never had to end, he heard a voice calling for her.

"MARISSA!!!"

They both turned around to see Volchek, running towards them. Marissa looked back at Ryan with confusion and fear in her eyes, and he instinctually pulled her closer to him. As Volchek came closer, Marissa's memory reminded her of his betrayal, and she quickly became infuriated with him.

"Kevin, what are you doing here?"

"Listen, Marissa….I just needed to talk to you….," he said. He looked at her, and realized that she had been crying. She really looked so beautiful. His eyes darted over to Ryan. He really hated him….not just because of Marissa…but, for having everything given to him. "Alone…," he finished, as he nodded towards Ryan.

Marissa adamantly shook her head, not even entertaining the idea for a moment. She locked eyes with Ryan, and she could tell that he was not keen on the idea either. Then, she faced Volchek again, trying to dissect his intentions. When she realized that she couldn't quite read him as well as she wanted, she made her decision.

"No….anything you have to say to me can be said in front of Ryan. After what you did, you are lucky I'm even speaking to you AT ALL," she huffed, hoping to convey her anxiety.

When Volchek looked back and forth between the two people standing in front of him, realizing that he was not going to get his way, he decided to continue.

"Look, Marissa, I know that what I did was stupid…" he said as he searched for the right words to convey his point. He noticed her mutter something quietly to herself and cast a curious eye to Ryan. God….he really didn't want to say this in front of him. What was he doing here anyway? Did she just forget that he dumped in the first place? "I guess, I just wanted you to know…that…," he stuttered, not realizing how hard these words were going to be, "I'm sorry."

Although she was still somewhat skeptical of his motives for being here, Marissa lightened her hesitation. Volchek was still staring at Ryan, seeking to will him away with his death glares. But, his attempts were to no avail; as Ryan was quite skilled in the art of the death glare himself.

Volchek continued, "but, I just wanted you to know…that if you think that Mr. Perfect over there is so much better than me," he nodded to Ryan, "then, how could he move on so quickly from your break-up?" He noticed Marissa pondering his words with a look of confusion, so he persisted. "Yeah….while you were at the lifeguard tower crying over him, he was hooking up with Sadie….Actually, he was hooking up with her BEFORE you broke up!"

Ryan could not believe the nerve of this guy…coming in, and trying to ruin their last moment together in who knows how long. He did not want to get into a fight here at the airport, so he remained as calm as he could. But, he HAD to stop this from going any further. Before he could get a word in to stop Volchek from continuing, they heard an announcement on the loud speaker.

"All passengers aboard Flight 183 to Honolulu, Hawaii, we are now ready to begin boarding all passengers."

Marissa looked over to Ryan in a panic. She needed this to be over…..NOW!

"Alright, man…..you need to GO now. You've said your peace……now, just leave," Ryan said, trying to keep his voice low and non-emotional. The last thing that Marissa needed right now was more drama to deal with. He looked over to her to try and gauge her thoughts, and she looked like she was letting Volchek's words sink in. Her brow was furrowed with concern, praying that what Volchek had said was not the truth, but deep down, knowing that it was. "I mean it, man….NOW!", Ryan emphasized his disdain for his presence.

"Okay…okay..," Volchek said as he backed away from them, his eyes directly fixed on Marissa. "But, think about what I said….and you know where to find me. And you..," he directed towards Ryan, unafraid to look him square in the eyes, "this is not over, not by a long shot." Her eyes searched his begging for some sort of clue to prove that he was lying. Ryan couldn't really have cheated on her, could he? She looked between the two of them, noticing their hatred towards each other, and knew that this situation needed to keep from escalating.

"Okay," she replied, hoping to appease Volchek and avoid any physical confrontation that was brewing, "please go…". Volchek nodded his head, looking deeply into her eyes one more time before turning away and leaving. Marissa turned her head to Ryan, with a mixture of emotions being conveyed in her eyes. Ryan knew the wheels inside her head must be turning a mile a minute envisioning many different scenarios. He decided to beat her to the punch with the truth.

"Riss….look at me," he asked. She slowly brought her eyes to meet his. He could barely contain himself when he saw that tears were about to brim over. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Their last moment together was not supposed to be filled with doubt and questions. "I know that you are probably wondering if what Volchek said was true. And, as much as I think we should talk about it before you leave, you need to get these bags checked in, or you are going to miss your flight."

At this moment, she knew that Volchek had been telling her the truth. Ryan hadn't even tried to deny it. How could she have been so stupid? The thought of Ryan and Sadie together while she was wallowing alone ignited a fury inside her that she hadn't thought was possible. She shook her head in disappointment and disbelief.

"It's true….isn't it?" she asked.

Ryan cast his head down to the ground in shame, knowing that she was not going to let this one wait. There was a desperate moment of silence while he tried to decide what he could say to possibly defend himself. But, nothing came. So, he just nodded. The tears that were only being held at bay by the possibility that Volchek had been lying were now flowing freely down Marissa's cheeks.

"I can't believe this….how could you?" she asked. "You know, it was hard enough to accept the fact that you were able to break up with me in a phone call that lasted under 2 minutes….but, the only thing that was giving me hope was you were brooding about it as much as I was….but, obviously I was wrong…..GOD, I never should have told her to stay. You know what, goodbye Ryan. You aren't the person that I thought you were….have a nice life."

With that, she started to gather her bags and walk towards the check-in area. Ryan let her words hit him like a ton of bricks. What did she mean she shouldn't have asked her to stay?

"Marissa, WAIT!!!" he exclaimed as he caught up to her. She turned around with a scowl, daring him to further anger her. "What did you mean you shouldn't have asked her to stay?"

Marissa had to decide whether she should tell Ryan about what she had done. Now, looking back with all the information she now knew, she regretted doing it.

"You know that night….at the lifeguard stand…when she was leaving town?" she choked out through tears that she no longer cared to hide. He nodded, remembering that night vividly. She continued, "Well, I went to the bus station….I….told…her…." She couldn't keep going any longer. It was hurting her too much. Ryan's face told her that he couldn't believe that she had done that for him. She had to get out of there…..NOW!!

Marissa quickly rubbed her arm across her face and grabbed her bags, running as fast as she could away from him, from all the emotions she was feeling. She thought that in the past few months she had been doing better at dealing with her problems, but at this moment, her mind reverted back to its' old habits.

"MARISSA!!! WAIT!!!" Ryan shouted, hoping that she would turn around and forget what had just transpired, and they could go back to that sweet goodbye kiss before Volchek had ruined everything. As he watched her back disappear amongst the sea of people, he knew that there was no way he could fix this now. He looked around at all the people passing by, too pre-occupied with their lives and problems to notice him. He sighed inwardly as he slowly walked dejectedly out of the airport. It looked like this might be the end for them.


	2. Disheveled Boxing

Thanks for the reviews everyone!! I appreciate your feedback, and I am an R/M writer, so don't worry. I just have a lot of obstacles that I thought were missed in the real show before I get to the reunion. But, there will be one….eventually!

Chapter II: The Simple Moments

Part 1: Disheveled Boxing

Meanwhile, at the Cohen house, Summer and Seth were just re-adjusting their clothes so that they didn't look too disheveled and obvious. They were giggling to themselves as they continued to pack for Brown.

"Cohen….are you sure that you don't want to move up to Rhode Island with me for the fall? I mean, maybe you could get a job and an apartment or something?" Summer asked, trying not to show her insecurity at having to spend a whole semester apart from him.

"Aawwhh…," Seth commented, grabbing her cheeks and pinching them, "Is someone afwaid they might get two wonwi without a cuddly buddy?" He smiled from ear to ear, knowing that they woman of his dreams was just as enamored with him as he was with her.

Summer playfully slapped him across his chest, but her eyes betrayed her, as she glanced at him lovingly.

"COHEN!!" she exclaimed.

"Sorry, my little love leopard," he obliged, knowing that she was not going to let him win this one. There was a moment of silence while he thought about how to explain to Summer his reasons for not wanting to move up there. "You know that I would love to spend as much time with my mischievous minx as I can….."

"But?" she replied, knowing that there was something else holding her back.

He sighed, hoping that his penchant for not thinking before speaking didn't rear its' ugly head at this important moment.

"But….I just feel like…maybe I need to be here for a little while longer. You know, help Ryan get over his post-Coop brooding, and,"

"Cohen….how many times have I told you? You CANNOT call her Coop. It's…just…weird," she said as she smacked him across the chest again.

"Damn…woman!! There is such a thing as spousal abuse, you know that right?" Summer gave him a death glare that foreshadowed a rage blackout. That was all Seth needed to back off that topic. "Okay…okay….as I was saying, I just think that maybe I should be around for a while longer….you saw how my mom gets when I just go away for the weekend….I just wouldn't…want…"

Summer understood at that moment that even though Seth had constantly talked about wanting to get out of California since she had known him, that he might be having a harder time following through with it than he wanted to admit to her. She understood, thinking about how hard it had been to say goodbye to Marissa earlier that day. She hoped that Marissa would not be gone for too long. Summer glanced back over at Seth, who seemed to be looking at her for approval to continue.

"It's okay, Seth. I get it. I'll just have to rake up the frequent flyer miles until January."

Seth sighed in relief that she had understood his apprehension and not called him out on it. He had thought Newport was Hell when he was growing up, but when Ryan came into his life, everything changed. He wasn't sure that he was quite ready to move on from that. Suddenly he remembered that Summer was still there and probably expecting him to say something.

"You know, maybe I could fly over to Brown…and we could come back together…you know, join the mile-high club?" he asked, secretly hoping she would say yes, but knowing that his chances were slim to none.

"EWH…Cohen….do you know how cramped and germ-infested those planes are? Not to mention the fact that…," she continued, oblivious to the amused look on Seth's face. Seth just smiled, content in knowing that everything he had wanted in the past few years was finally seeming to fall into place.

"Cohen?? COHEN??? SETH???" Summer increased as she realized her boyfriend was not listening to her rant. He finally snapped back into reality, and her curiosity piqued wondering what he had been thinking about. "Where were you just now? You looked like you were brooding Chino-style."

Seth faintly smiled over at his girlfriend as he thought about the brother he had always wished for. What was life going to be like without Ryan around? Would they still be able to be close even though they were so far away from each other? Would Ryan find someone else to be his new best friend?

"Oh, it's nothing….," he said as he searched to find something to divert the conversation. "I think maybe we need to go get some more packing supplies," he commented as he looked around the room.

Summer decided not to pursue her earlier line of questioning and just let the subject drop for the time being. She nodded her head in agreement, and they began to turn to walk out of the room. She could still sense that there was something weighing heavily on Seth's mind, and she could only hope that once he got to Rhode Island that it would be gone.


	3. The beginnings of a breakdown

Chapter III: The beginnings of a breakdown

Julie peered in front of her medicine cabinet, with her heart feeling heavy with guilt. As much as she did not want to feel like she favored one of her children over the other, she couldn't help but wonder if she had felt this down when Kaitlyn had left for boarding school. Even though it seemed for a while that she and Marissa were never going to be able to repair their relationship, somehow they had gotten on the right track in the last few weeks. And, now what? Now, she leaves to go gallivanting around the world with her father. And, now Julie is left with another teenager full of hostility and resentment to contend with. Why did Jimmy get to have all the fun, and she was the one always stuck doing the actual "parenting"?

She slowly reached into the cabinet and pulled out her little bottle of anti-depressants. The doctor had been persuaded to prescribe them to her when she and Jimmy were going through their divorce. But, she had not taken them, not wanting to be seen as weak by her new husband, Caleb. Everything had needed to be perfect for Caleb to be able to justify to himself asking her to marry him, and she knew that. So, she obliged, and sought to make herself into the perfect Newport housewife. And, look how well that had turned out.

Then, after Caleb died, Julie had been in survival mode. Everything had come crashing down around her and Marissa, but with Jimmy back in the picture, it had started to look as though things might finally get better. But, they hadn't. And now, with Neil, she felt as though there was a real foundation of respect and understanding that the two of them had between each other that she hadn't really felt before. Plus, she could go back to affording the lifestyle that she had accustomed herself to all those years ago.

However, something still didn't feel right. The one daughter that she had invested so much in trying to mend their relationship was now abandoning her, and another daughter that she used to be so close with was now overflowing with resentment. Would Kaitlyn prove as defiant of an obstacle as Marissa once had? Did Marissa miss her? Would Jimmy ever come back?

"Julie?"

Julie quickly popped two pills into her mouth and took a sip of her bottled water before checking her hair in the mirror. She narrowed her eyes, studying herself in the mirror. What was she getting herself into?

"Coming…," she yelled back at Neil.

She took one last look at herself and exited the bathroom. Neil was sitting in the front room, dressed up in a suit and ready for their date. He had thought it was a good idea to take Julie out for dinner, as he could tell that she was feeling a little bit of empty nest syndrome after Marissa had left. He completely understood and hoped that she would be there for him in that same way once Summer left for Brown. The thought of his little girl leaving him made Neil feel quite nostalgic.

As Julie hurried into the living room, Neil quickly pulled himself out of his reflective mood as he turned to look at his fiancé. He smiled widely as he took in her appearance.

" Wow…Jules….you look stunning," he said as he lightly kissed her on the cheek. They were going out to celebrate their Marissa and Summer's graduation and Kaitlyn's return home. He had made reservations for his usual table at the Arches, and they were running a little late. But he didn't care. He had the best looking woman there on his arm. And, with Summer moving all the way to the other side of the country, he was going to need something to fill that void in his life.

"Thanks sweetie," she replied, pleased that he liked her dress. She was wearing a vintage Chanel cocktail red dress with a sash around the waist, with matching Manolo Blahnik strappy red sandals. It was not as over-the-top as Julie usually would go for, but she didn't feel the need as much to impress Neil as she had with Caleb, and even with Jimmy.

As they drove to the Arches, both were deep in thought, wondering about the future without their children, and hoping that this time, this relationship would be different. Neil sensed the unease in the air and decided to directly address it.

"So, how are you? You seem….distant."

Julie felt a wave of relief wash over her as she was pulled away from her thoughts. She looked over at him, so genuinely concerned and caring. How had she ever been so lucky to have found him? She smiled a quiet smile and reached out for his hand. Maybe their life wouldn't be so bad after all.

"I'm sorry honey…I've just…had a lot on my mind lately. Everything seems like it's moving so….fast…I guess I just need a minute to process everything that has happened. I mean, it seems like just yesterday that she was learning how to ride her bike and how to bake chocolate chip cookies…,"

As the memories flooded back to her, she quickly became overcome with emotions…some happy, some sad. Neil reached a hand out to her for comfort.

"I understand completely….and, I know that it is going to be hard for both of us in these next few months….but, at least we have each other….and Caitlyn is coming back."

Caitlyn….she had almost forgotten about her. Julie knew that Caitlyn was carrying the same chip on her shoulder that Marissa had when she was that age. She knew that it was going to be a struggle with her, that she was not going to be happy to obey a mother that had not so long ago shipped her off to boarding school so that she wouldn't have to deal with her.

Julie nodded back at Neil, thankful when he didn't push her anymore to talk. They headed into the restaurant quietly, and enjoyed their new beginning together. Halfway through the meal, Julie excused herself to the bathroom. As she was washing her hands, she heard her cell phone begin to ring. Quickly wiping her hands, she rushed to catch the caller before it went to voicemail. Maybe it was Marissa telling her she had landed safely.

"Hello," she said.

"Hello, may I please speak to a Ms. Julie Cooper?" a voice replied to her.

"This is she," Julie assured, now curious as to whom was calling her.

" Ms. Cooper, my name is Detective Reynolds, here with the Orange County Police department. Uh, we are calling to inform you that we have taken your daughter, a," the caller struggled as he flipped through the paperwork, "Caitlyn Cooper, here at the juvenile detention center. We need you to come up to the station as soon as possible, as she is a minor and has requested to have a guardian present."

Julie's mind began racing a mile a minute. What could her daughter have done that would get her arrested? Was Caitlyn going to be as rebellious and difficult as Marissa had once been? Or worse?

"Ms. Cooper?" Det. Reynolds asked again, growing a little impatient.

Julie snapped back into the conversation and realized that she was still on the phone.

"Yes…yes..of course….we'll be right there."

She absent-mindedly hung up the phone and shoved it back into her purse. Her eyes began to well with tears as her imagination ran rampant with ideas. She chided herself for worrying without knowing the facts yet. As she quickly washed her hands, she looked again at the mirror. She could swear her face was getting older by the minute. By the time that Caitlyn was through with her, Julie wondered if she was going to look like a senior citizen. Haphazardly, Julie reached into her purse, grabbing the bottle of pills. She carefully shook out 3 pills and flushed them down with some water. She could feel that pretty soon she was going to need a break from reality.


	4. Paradise Lost

Hey guys….I worked really hard on this chapter. Please r/r!!

Chapter III: Paradise Lost

After spending several hours on the plane dissolved in her own misery, Marissa had entered into her reflective, questioning mood. She hated that there was only one person who could make her feel so insecure and hurt. And, as much as she wanted to drink away her sorrows, there was something holding her back this time. It was him. His eyes were holding her back. The way things had left off at the airport so abrupt and unfinished was driving her mad. Even though he would never find out, she still didn't want to disappoint him.

She took a deep breath in and tried smoothing down her sky blue tank top. She had taken thirty minutes to decide what to wear that morning, wanting to leave a lasting impression in Ryan's mind. She had finally decided on a brown and blue geometric print knee-length skirt that she knew Ryan liked. A part of her had desperately wanted him to convince her to stay. But, he didn't, and she knew that he would never pressure her to do anything that she didn't want to do. The only thing he wanted was for her to be happy. But, right now, she wasn't happy. And, she didn't know what could change her mood.

She looked around the plane, so many faces living lives that she knew nothing about. She saw an older man, who looked like hadn't had a day of true peace in a long time, shifting in his seat, trying to make the plane seats as comfortable as possible. His mouth was slightly open as he snored quietly. Behind him sat a young mother with her two children. She looked like she was about to burst with frustration, as the older boy kept asking for more pretzels and the younger boy was crying, nothing seeming to satisfy his distress. As she soothingly patted the younger boy with one arm, she desperately tried to flag down the flight attendant with the other, needing to locate a packet of pretzels immediately.

All of these faces, lives, stories that Marissa would never know. She wondered if she would meet anyone abroad that could even come close to Ryan.

"Excuse me, m'aam," a voice said, pulling Marissa out from her brooding session. She looked towards the source of the voice, and saw an older woman sitting next to her. "They turned the seatbelt sign on again….I just thought you might want to know."

"Oh…no…that's fine. Thanks…I wasn't really paying attention," Marissa admitted.

The lady laughed quietly to herself. "I noticed," she said, as she began to blush a bit. "I hope you don't think I'm intruding…but, I couldn't help but notice that you look upset about something. May I ask if you are alright?"

Marissa sighed heavily as she broke into that same half-smile that had haunted her dreams for so many nights. If this lady could right through her, how was she ever going to be able to hide this from her dad?

"Yeah, I'll be okay," she said, wanting to put on a brave front. The lady smiled politely and nodded, knowing that she had hit a sore spot. "It's….just….," she continued, trailing off not knowing how to describe what she was feeling.

"Boy troubles?" the lady posited. Marissa looked at her somewhat surprised that she could be so transparent. As she looked into the older woman's eyes, she saw all the wisdom that must have accumulated from a lifetime of boy troubles. She saw the crystal blue clarity that only comes with age and experience. She saw the wisdom and concern of a stranger who had no doubt been where she was once before. "I thought that glassy-eyed gaze looked familiar. Whoever he is, he is not worth your tears. Trust me, I've got some years on you," she continued, smiling at the last comment.

Marissa sighed again, trying to decide whether she should divulge any more information to this woman. Maybe it would help to get a outside party's opinion.

"Oh…but, he is. He so is…," Marissa said, remembering his half-smile in her mind.

"Well, if he really is…then he'll wait for you, no matter how hard you try to push him away. There is this old saying, if you love something enough, set it free. And, if it comes back to you, then you'll know that it truly was meant to be."

Marissa had heard this saying before, but she had never really thought about how it applied to her Ryan situation. But it did.

"Yeah…I know…it's just so…..,"

"Hard?" the lady replied.

Both of the ladies shared a laugh over their unspoken frustration with the opposite sex. Marissa took this moment to really look into the woman's eyes. In them, she could see years of laughter and tears, moments of desperation and fear, and the wisdom and will to keep going. She silently hoped to herself that she would have these qualities when she got older. Something about this woman told her that she might have some good advice for her.

"So, you seem like someone who has had a little bit of experience with this topic…any other advice you care to share? I guess…I could really use it."

The lady nodded, glancing off to the side in memory. A look of remembrance and clarity washed over her face as she tried to formulate her words. She could sense that this moment could greatly influence this young girl's life.

"A very long time ago, when I was a girl no more than 18 years old, probably around the age you are now….there was a great war happening in our country. World War II….the United States was just about to enter the war that they had long been trying to avoid. Hitler and Stalin were running rampant, creating disorder everywhere, the Great Depression had all but sucked the soul out of the whole world….it was a hard, hard time to be alive."

The woman sat back, remembering slowly all of the pains that she had tried to hard to forget. Marissa could see that this was a sore spot for her, and she wandered why this stranger was divulging her life story to her.

"My family was torn apart. My parents couldn't afford to raise all 7 kids together, so we split up. I went with my brother Eric to North Carolina. Our aunt Sylvia lived there, and she had told my mom she could watch 2 older kids. She already had 5 of her own, so it was rough moving into a house that already seemed so full….but we did. I got a job at the local factory sewing parachutes out of pantyhose for $.30/hour,"

Marissa looked at her somewhat disbelieving that anyone could be paid so little for their work.

"I know…I can tell you are thinking that sounds like slave labor…but, actually back in that time, that was a decent job. So, anyway, one day, I was walking home from the factory, trying to decide if I should save up my money to go track down my scattered family, when I literally run into someone. I drop my entire contents of my purse….unmentionables included," she admits, blushing deeply, "and I'm so frustrated that I don't even look up before I start my rant on the culprit."

Flashback

"Excuse ME??!! Do you think maybe it is too difficult of a concept to try looking before walking??"

She hurriedly scrambled to stuff everything back into her purse, keeping an extra eye on her newly cashed paycheck. You never know what kind of people are out there. As she was focusing on retaining her belongings and moving on with her day, she sees a pair of strong, worn hands begin to assist her in her undertaking. She sees the tips of his green jacket, and she immediately stops what she is doing and looks up.

Her breath catches in her throat as she retains his features for the first time. He was exactly the man she had seen in her dreams. She shifted back onto the balls of her feet, absorbing everything she could about this man. He was tall, even though he was hunched down, and strong. He looked as though he could protect himself physically, but that he only went that route when necessary. His face, smooth from a clean shave, made him look youthful and innocent, while his eyes, burning intense royal blue, held a maturity that confused her. Who was this guy? She had to know.

"I'm…sorry….It wasn't all your fault…," she stuttered out, her free-wheeling tough-girl act long gone, replaced by a humble, almost schoolgirl-like nervousness.

The young man smiled at her with his perfect teeth shining. He laughed slightly at her change of behavior. He couldn't help but feel confident when she had obviously been checking him out. He silently stood up, stretching his legs to regain sensation in them, and reached out for her hand. She smiled broadly as she accepted. Their hands met as a jolt of electricity ran through their veins. They both pulled their hands away from one another, surprised to realize that the other had experienced the same thing. He could no longer contain it, as he openly laughed at their situation. He looked down, noticing another tampon still left on the ground. She followed his eyes, and quickly swooped down to grab it.

"God…you know, as if this couldn't get any more embarrassing….," she trailed, hoping that this mysterious stranger would finally respond to her. He didn't. He was too busy studying her beautiful, but tired and dirty face. There was so much pain in her face. He could tell she had been through a lot. And, that intrigued him. He had come across many girls that seemed too perfect, too fake, and that totally turned him off. This girl was not like that. She was not afraid to get herself a little dirty.

Noticing the lingering silence, she began to get more and more uncomfortable.

"Well, not much for words…huh?"

He just shrugged, slightly smiling to himself.

"Well, my name is Frances. And, I'm hoping that you speak English, because if not, then I'm just sitting here talking to myself…and, that would cap off this embarrassing moment…"

She held out her hand to shake his. He noticed the remnants of dirt under her fingernails. He pulled her hand for a closer look. She suddenly felt very insecure, wondering if he was secretly judging her.

"Look….if you are going to make some smart comment about how a lady shouldn't have dirty fingernails….then, I might have to cut you off. Because…as you can tell, I have to work to get by. I'm not some rich girl with a silver spoon up her…."

As she was talking, he smirked at how she was completely unlike anyone else he had ever met. He quickly put her hand up to his lips and kissed it. This totally caught Frances off guard. She was not expecting that, and she felt herself beginning to blush again.

"My name is James. And, yes…I do speak English. You just left me speechless for a moment," he shyly replied.

Frances was so flushed by what he had said that she was momentarily rendered speechless.

"What…so, now I have something to say, and you're the speechless one?" he questioned, laughing heartily at their role reversal.

"What?? Oh…sorry," she hesitated, trying to scramble up an excuse for her behavior, "I was…just…."

"Long day?" he interrupted, sensing her hesitation. She nodded. "Would you like me to walk you home?"

Frances felt that butterfly sensation again turning her stomach into knots. She again nodded and started to walk towards her house, knowing that this day would be one that she would remember for a long time to come.

Present Day

"So what happened?" Marissa asked, wanting to know what had come of this relationship.

Frances lost herself again in thought, remembering that horrible day.

"He…he was in the military. We had progressed from taking walks home to Friday night drive-in movies. James was the most well-mannered, understanding kind man that I had ever met before. I soon fell completely head over heels for him, as did he for me. But, we purposefully took it slow since we both knew how much it hurt to get your heart broken. He hadn't even tried to kiss me when we found out….," she said, vividly remembering her emotions from that day.

"Found out what?"

Frances heaved a sigh, and then continued, "That he was going to war. So, we decided to do what any young, crazy couple did back then when faced with the thought of war tearing them apart…..we got married."

"You got married before ever even kissing each other?" Marissa couldn't believe that things had been so different back then. She wondered if she and Ryan could have made it without having any of that physical closeness that she had craved so badly.

Frances blushed a little, "Oh that all changed our wedding night!"

Marissa laughed at the way Frances blurted out this statement. Obviously, waiting for physical contact had been just as difficult for her as it would have been for Marissa.

"It was so amazing…we were young, in love…and stupid…," she completed, her tone taking on a more serious note.

There was a moment of silence as Frances realized that to tell this story to a young girl obviously in need of guidance, she was going to have to re-live the hard part too.

"He left for war in 1944, right about the time that things were heating up. A few weeks after he left, I discovered that I was pregnant…..I was so scared…18, pregnant, and all alone. If I hadn't received letters every day from him reassuring me that we were doing the right thing, and that it all would work out for the best in the end, then I truly think I would have gone mad. But, I continued to work at the factory, picking up a 2nd job waitressing at the local diner."

"So, then…..you had the baby? Was it a boy or a girl?" Marissa asked.

Frances face began to beam with pride. "A boy….Jonathon James Atwood…he was the apple of mine and his father's eye…a true miracle if there ever was one."

Did she just say Atwood? That one word immediately perked Marissa's ears. It really seemed like he was everywhere.

Frances noticed the change in her audience and quickly stopped talking.

"I'm…sorry, I was still listening…but, did you just say Atwood?" Marissa pondered, needing to know if this woman could possibly be related to her Ryan.

"Yes…yes I did…honey, are you alright? You look like you've just seen a ghost," Frances replied, quickly dropping into old habits and checking Marissa's temperature.

Marissa couldn't believe it. Was this supposed to be some kind of a sign? She had to know if this woman could possibly tell her something about Ryan.

"Oh…no…I'm sorry…it's just…the guy…the one that I was telling you about earlier…the boy troubles?"

Frances nodded her head, curious as to where she was going with this.

Marissa continued, "Well, his last name is Atwood."

Frances' eyes widened at this revelation. She began to think that maybe fate had brought her together with this bright-eyed girl for a reason.

"Really? Do you know what his mother and father's names are, by any chance?"

Marissa thought about it for a minute, realizing that she and Ryan had never really talked about his family more than necessary.

"Um…well, he has a brother," she shuddered at the memory of the last time she had spent time with Trey, "his name is Trey….and, I think his mom's name is Dawn…I don't know, I guess we never really talked that much about his family. But, he was adopted by the Cohen's, my old next door neighbors. That's how I met him."

"So, I'm guessing that you two didn't have much time to talk….you were busy, doing other things?" Frances quipped, amused by the younger girl's embarrassment.

"Well, I guess…it's not really like you are thinking…it's just, we went through so much so quick, there just wasn't any time for those simple formalities. You know?"

Frances knew exactly what she had meant, suddenly being brought back into her original story.

"Well, if he is truly an Atwood, then he's got to be as stubborn as all hell."

Marissa laughed and showed in the look she gave Frances that she was absolutely right on the money.

"So, anyways, back to the story…when Jonathon was around 1 year old, I took him to the park to play in the sandbox. I had been really missing James, and it was starting to take a toll on our relationship. Contrary to popular belief, in our case, absence did not make the heart grow fonder. His letters grew shorter and further in between. He started to sound distant and almost cold. It was like he was losing his soul over there. Well, this one day at the park, I could feel that something wasn't right. That was when I noticed 2 men in full military dress walking towards me. I….I began to hyperventilate , knowing in my heart that they were headed in my direction….,"

Flashback

Frances hurriedly grabbed Jonathon from his place in the sandbox. This couldn't really be happening, could it? The moment she had prayed would never happen to her, the day she had had so many nightmares about, was finally coming to fruition. The men approached her quietly, trying to guide her to a more private section of the park.

"No…No!!!" was all Frances could manage to utter before breaking down into full-body sobs. Jonathon immediately started crying, sensing that something was troubling his mother even though he was not yet old enough to comprehend.

"Mrs. Atwood…my name is Sgt. Earl Mendelsohn…" the man began, trying to devoid his voice of any emotion. This was the part of the job he hated the most.

"No…please, don't say it!!"

"Mrs. Atwood, we are sorry to inform you that your husband was killed in the line of duty. We would like to give him the full funeral arrangements, and give you our sincerest form of apology."

"No you DON'T….you aren't sorry!! You are just glad that you made it high enough on the chain so that you don't have to fight the war. You just have to tell other families the bad news….GO AWAY!!" she screamed, needing to get out of there. The looks of shock and pity were overtaking the familiar faces at the park. She knew any moment now one of the other mothers was going to try and come over and comfort her. But, that was the exact last thing she wanted.

She scooped Jonathon up, attempting in vein to quell his fears with a motherly kiss, but he knew better. She grabbed her bad and silently walked in the other direction. What was she going to do now?

"M'aam?"

She turned around to see the other soldier walking toward her with a piece of paper.

"I'm sorry we had to meet like this. My name is Staff Sgt. Michael Bray. I was in the same unit with your husband. He was my best friend over there."

Frances smiled through her tears, feeling somewhat comforted that someone else here was feeling pain over his death too.

"He wanted me to give this to you….just in case…I'm sorry it had to be like this."

She timidly reached for the letter, part of her wanting to rip it up and curse the man who had made her fall for him just a few short years before. But, the other part of her wanted to read his sweet last words and mourn his death forever.

"Thanks..I appreciate it," she muttered quickly before regaining her stuff and heading home.

Frances rushed home, too overwhelmed with emotion to think about anything other than the letter her dead husband had left for her. Once she was able to calm Jonathon down, she put him upstairs for his nap. She quietly uncorked a bottle of wine that she had been saving for her husband's return and poured herself a drink. Snuggled under their favorite quilt, she stared at the letter for what seemed like hours before she finally was able to open it.

_My dearest Frances,_

_I guess if you are reading this, it means that I didn't make it. I don't even know where to begin, because the thought of you and Jonathon living without me is almost too hard to bear. But, this was the risk that I knew when I signed up. As proud as I am to be serving my country, I can't help but wish that I had met you before I enlisted. Because, baby, if I had, I would have never signed up for anything that would entail being away from you._

_My sweet Frances, I knew I loved you that very first day. The dirt under your fingernails, the frustrated, unaffected tone you had, everything…you were so different. I had never met anyone like you, and I knew I would regret it if I didn't make you mine. You have been more than a man could ask for…loving, stubborn, frustrating, caring…everything my dream wife would be and more. And, it saddens me beyond words to think that I could leave you and our perfect son alone forever._

_Frances, as hard as this is to write, please listen when I say to love again. Don't mourn this for too long, for I only want you to be happy. Find Jonny a good father that can give him the things that I couldn't. _

_I have to go now. My commander is giving me the 'It's time to go..now!' look…I'm so sorry and know that I will be watching down on you forever._

_Your always,_

_James_

Present Day

Marissa could not stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks. Frances, however, had yet to shed a tear. She just sat in a trance, with a slight knowing smile on her lips.

"Oh God…..that is so sad."

"It's okay…honey, believe me, I've had many years to struggle and finally accept it. Thankfully, I had my beautiful son to remind me every day that there was something that James had left me with. A reminder of him. But, I guess my point is…that you never know when this rollercoaster that we call life is over. So, if you really think you have found that person but the timing doesn't seem right, let them explore alone, but always keep them close enough so that when they finally figure out what they want, you won't be too far away."

Those words really hit Marissa like a ton of bricks. Was she really just wasting time when she knew that Ryan was it? Should she stay with her dad?

Marissa thanked Frances and told her that she would pass along her phone number to Ryan whenever she got the chance. The plane shortly thereafter landed, and Marissa, with her racing mind not letting her get one minute of peace, ascended from the plane to face the next chapter of her life.


	5. Ghost of You

Hello all you fellow OC lovers!! I had a dream about this chapter so here it is. Thanks again for the reviews!

Chapter V: Ghost of You

Ryan restlessly rolled over again in his bed. It was 3:52 A.M., and the only thing on his mind was her. The look on her face when she realized that Volchek had not been lying. How could he have been so stupid as to think that she wouldn't find out about his little pre-breakup strip poker game with Sadie? Looking back, he wished that he had never done it. Especially when it turns out that Marissa was the one that actually convinced Sadie to stay in the first place. He knew he had to talk to her, to explain everything that had happened. Hopefully, she wouldn't hold it against him. And hopefully, he hadn't lost his shot to be with her again.

Knowing that there was no chance that he was going to get any sleep, Ryan pulled his body out of bed and made his way to his desk. He pulled out a piece of paper from his drawer as he began to search for a way to explain to the girl of his dreams how sorry he was.

_Dear Marissa,_

_I know that I'm probably the last person that want to hear from right now, but……_

He stopped writing and crumbled the paper up into a ball, throwing it absent-mindedly onto the floor. This was going to be a long night.

Three hours later.

Ryan sat triumphantly sipping his fourth cup of black coffee, re-reading his final draft for the eighth time in a row. He had known that this task was not going to be an easy one, since he wasn't exactly known for his gift with words. But, something inside him told him that if he didn't do this and just left things between him and Marissa open-ended, he might lose any chance he had left.

Glancing over at the clock quickly, Ryan realized that there was really no sense in trying to go to bed now. His eyes were fighting to stay awake, knowing that Seth would probably barge in any minute to talk about some fight he was having with Summer. At least Summer wasn't all the way across the world doing God knows what some sexy Greek sailor guy. He shuddered at the thought that Marissa could be using her pain from their conversation to fuel her well-known penchant for excess. He just hoped that she wasn't drinking. Moving to pick up the crumpled sheets of paper scattered across the floor, Ryan couldn't help but wander what she was doing right now. Had she made it safely to her destination? Was she thinking about him? Would she ever talk to him again? He kept hearing her voice, the last words she had said to him…

'_You know what, goodbye Ryan. You aren't the person that I thought you were….have a nice life'_

Was this really it? No, he shook his head. This couldn't be how it ends for them. He picked up the letter again, reading it one more time before he sent it off to her.

_Dear Marissa,_

_I'm not sure whether it is the seven cups of coffee I've had tonight or the way things ended between us at the airport, but I can't get my head clear enough to get any sleep. I need you to know what really happened with me and Sadie, even if it means that you may never speak to me again._

_It was right after Johnny had died. I could see you pulling away from me, and I didn't want to get hurt again the way I had with the whole Oliver thing. I know that this was completely different, but it felt like I was losing you, and I needed to protect myself from that. So, when Sadie asked me to go with her to find Johnny's dad, I said yes. I needed to escape from my own problems, even if it was only for a little while. _

_I need you to know that I never did anything with her before we were broken up. But, that night, I just needed not to feel anything. So, after our conversation, things happened, and I slept with her. To this day, I regret jumping so quickly from one girl to another, but you have to know that with her it was never like it was with you. _

_When she told me she was leaving, I just couldn't bear the thought of losing another person. Then, when she came back and said she had decided to stay, I thought that I had finally been enough for someone to stay. But, it turns out it hadn't been me, but you. Knowing that you did that for me even when we weren't together just shows me that I was wrong for ever leaving you. I should have seen it back when you let me leave for Theresa. I don't know that you will ever know how much that meant to me._

_I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry. Sorry for always assuming the worst when it comes to you. Sorry for not being there for you when you needed me. Sorry for not trusting and believing in you. It's so hard to do, especially when there are so many things about you that remind me of my mom. The way you always act on impulse, the way your big heart always lets people manipulate you, the way you always need rescuing. But, there are so many good about you that remind me of her too. How you always manage to overcome bad situations, your willingness to help out a friend in need. I know that I shouldn't hold the stuff she did against you, but it's hard not to sometimes. _

_So, I guess that's pretty much it. I hope that you have an amazing trip, and that you find everything that you were looking for. If you ever need to talk, I know I'm not the most talkative person in the world, but I'll always be here for you._

_I love you._

_Ryan_

As he finished re-reading it, he heard a knock on the door. Assuming it was Seth, he quickly moved to hide the letter and appear as though he was still asleep. The knock persisted, getting louder the second time.

"GO AWAY SETH!" he said, not wanting to be disturbed.

There was a moment of silence before a voice that he was not expecting spoke up.

"Um…Ryan, can I come in?" the voice said somewhat timidly. Even though he had been with them for several years now, she was still unsure as to how to approach him this early in the morning.

"Kirsten?" Ryan questioned as he moved to open the door for her. He looked outside, seeing her fragile frame holding the last thing that he needed, two steaming cups of coffee. There was a worried expression etched across her delicate features. He opened the door to let her in. She carefully came in and handed him the cup, blowing on it lightly to cool it down.

"Thought you might could use this….," she said as she carefully took a sip from her cup.

"Thanks…yeah, I've already had a few already."

"Oh, sorry….I saw your light on when I was up earlier, and I figured you must be having as hard of time sleeping as I am."

He hadn't ever thought that maybe he wasn't the only one in the house who was feeling troubled. He looked over at her, wondering what could make her feel so worried. Then he realized. Them. He and Seth. They were leaving her to go off to college, and she was going to be all alone. He had been so wrapped up in himself that he had neglected to think about how everyone else had been dealing with this change.

There was a pause before Kirsten forced herself to continue.

"Are you okay?" she asked, hoping that he would offer a little more to her than his usual one-word answer.

He looked at her knowing that she knew everything was not okay. He couldn't help but be reminded of when his mother would ask that same question the day after she had passed out and let her boyfriend of the moment take out his aggressions on him. He always said yes even when it wasn't true. But, he couldn't do that. Kirsten may have had a drinking problem, but she was nothing like his mother.

He sat wordlessly on his bed, contemplating whether to open up to her. She cautiously set her cup on the nightstand and sat down next to him. She lightly put her arm around him, and it felt so good to feel that motherly love from her right then. It meant more than any words could.

"I think I might have lost her for good this time," he softly muttered. His head hung dejectedly as he thought again about everything that had transpired just a few short hours ago.

Kirsten saw the angst in his eyes as he spoke aloud this realization and knew that whatever she chose to say, she would have to tread very carefully. She pulled his body closer to her, and he gently laid his head down on her shoulder. Rhythmically, she began to ruffle his hair, hoping to calm him. They sat like this for several minutes, her trying to formulate the best route to help him understand, him silently begging for a mother to give him some insight into the always-misunderstood female mind.

"I know that what I'm about to say may sound a little corny to you, but I swear it's true. When Sandy and I had just graduated from Berkeley, things were so stressful for us. We couldn't live in the sheltered world of college anymore, and we had to figure out what we were going to do next. Those days, it seemed like there was never enough money or happiness. Just stress and worry. One day, it just became too much for me to handle….and, so, I broke up with him."

Ryan looked up at her in surprise. No one had told him about this before.

She continued, seeing the confusion on his face, "I know no one probably ever told you that….believe me, we don't talk about it hardly to this day. Seth doesn't even know."

Ryan couldn't believe it. Here he had always felt like somewhat of an outsider, no matter how much they had tried to include him in their family. But, now, here she was, divulging something to him that she had never even told her own son. He couldn't help but feel somewhat privileged and special that she was sharing this with him.

"So, anyway," she continued, the pain of the memory displaying on her face, "we went our separate ways….I came home to Newport and started working for the Newport Group, much to my father's pleasure. And Sandy, well, I don't really know what he did while we were apart, but he couldn't have possibly been as miserable as I was. I'm not going to lie to you…it was hard, not seeing him, wondering what he was doing, who he was with, if he thought about me. But, I had to figure things out for myself."

She stood up, retrieving her coffee and enjoying a long sip. Ryan did the same as he waited to hear more of her story. How did they end up back together? And, could he hope for the same thing for himself and Marissa?

"So, I bet your wondering how we ended up back together. Well, one day I was at work, just feeling awful about life and wishing for a miracle that would bring me back to him. As I was leaving to grab some lunch, I saw a delivery man walking into the office with a huge sapling tree with a bow wrapped around it. I stopped because immediately I recognized it as the same type of tree that Sandy and I had planted on our first date."

Ryan smirked to himself, mentally picturing Sandy and Kirsten as teenagers. Kirsten could sense the amusement her second son was getting from that image.

"Please…save the tree-hugging hippie jokes for Seth…I need at least ONE nice son not to make cracks on my adolescent adventures!" She smiled broadly at him and continued her story.

"Well, it turns out that Sandy had been thinking about me just as much as I had been about him. When I read the card, I burst into tears just at the thought that he was still wanting me after all I had put him through."

Kirsten sighed, realizing that she was getting to the heart of her story.

"I guess the point I'm trying to make to you is this. You love Marissa, and she loves you. I know that, everyone knows that. No matter what, you two have always found your way back to each other. And, for two young kids, you have had your fair share of obstacles. Just don't give up…if it's really meant to be, then she'll wait for you, no matter how hard you try to push her away. There is this old saying, if you love something enough, set it free. And, if it comes back to you, then you'll know that it truly was meant to be."

This sentiment echoed in Ryan's head continuously after she had said it. As scared as he at the thought of actually letting her go, he knew it was what needed to be done. After Kirsten left the room to get ready for work, Ryan grabbed for the letter. He touched over the words he had worked so hard to pour out onto the paper. This was everything that he had not said, and it would need to come out eventually. But, not now. Now was not the time for him to send this to her. The last thing he wanted to do was pressure her into returning to town when she was not ready.

Ryan quickly put the letter in his top dresser drawer and left the pool house for more coffee. It was going to be a long summer.


	6. Another One Bites the Dust

Hey everyone…just got my internet restricted at work, so I was kinda worried how I was going to post….but, I love my awesome, beautiful and retired mom who agreed to post for me! So, thanks again mom!! I'm sure my readers will give you some love in their reviews!! Hope you like this one. I decided to bring in Luke's brothers like they did on the show, but I'm changing them up a bit.

Chapter VI: Another One Bites the Dust

Caitlyn knew she was in for it. Looking over at Eric and Brad Ward, she was at least relieved that she was not alone. It had been a long few hours after Marissa had left for the airport. Caitlyn hadn't really decided what to feel about her sister's departure. In a way, she was ready to be the sole focus of her mom's attention. For so long, it had seemed like she was the invisible daughter while Marissa had gotten all the interest. Now, she was getting everything she had always thought that she had wanted….all the spotlight was on her now. But, maybe that wasn't turning out to be such a good thing.

She could hear the faint clicking of the designer heels and the smell of her mother's favorite perfume before Julie entered into her sight. Bracing herself for what she could only imagine was going to be a huge spectacle, Caitlyn was surprised when she saw Dr. Roberts trailing her mom with a concerned and disappointed face. As soon as she locked eyes with him, he turned away, not wanting to get involved any more than he had to. She saw Julie talking quietly to the guard as he motioned toward her. Ducking quickly, Caitlyn turned her head around just in time to avoid her mother's penetrating glare

"Alright…Ms. Cooper, it looks like you are free to go," the guard said as he opened the small fenced cell. The accommodations in the Newport Juvenile facility were not prototypical Newport style, as Caitlyn had thought they must be, instead consisting of a small twin bed and a generic-looking nightstand.

As Caitlyn swiftly removed herself from her uncomfortable surroundings, she smirked towards Eric and Brad, happy that at least her mother hadn't decided to let her sleep it off overnight in jail. After their dad had left for Portland, the twins' mother had turned very bitter and unyielding. 'Guess that's what finding out your husband of 20 years is gay can do that to you,' she thought.

"Caitlyn," Julie called, icily motioning to her younger daughter to hurry up. The last thing she had wanted on this already difficult night was to deal with this. "Hurry up, we'll talk about this more when we get home," she sniped, grabbing Caitlyn's arm firmly guiding her out of the station. She nodded a thank you to the guard behind the glass, who smiled back timidly. 'Even the police are scared of her,' Caitlyn thought.

On the ride home, the car was eerily quiet. Too quiet for Caitlyn. She wished that there was some noise, even bad Muzak would have been better than this. Caitlyn knew that her mother would have not waited to tear into her on the ride home had Dr. Roberts not been there. Silently, she cursed Eric for ever suggesting that below the pier was a safe place to smoke. Of course, it was she who had been too wrapped up to notice that there was a cop looking right at her. But, she couldn't help it.

Flashback

Eric was having trouble rolling the joint. Frustrated, he threw his hands up in the air.

"Here….you wanted it…you get it to roll! I GIVE UP!" he said, exasperated at the task. Quickly, he handed the joint over to Caitlyn. Without missing a beat, she licked the side where it had been previously ripped and rolled it into a perfectly smooth spliff. Smirking with pride, she motioned for the lighter.

"What would you two do without me? Oh, wait…I know. You would keep thinking your dirt weed was the shit, and be totally oblivious to all the possibilities your mom's hidden stash can buy," she said as she lit the joint. Taking a long, relaxing drag, Caitlyn scooted further under the pier, she made sure it was fully lit before taking another puff.

"Hey, Bogart…..quit babysitting!" Brad said, motioning for her to pass the joint.

Caitlyn looked at him hastily, and said, "Wait you turn…don't you know it's puff-puff-pass?"

Brad looked at Eric to confirm that that was the case before shrugging his head in defeat. Caitlyn had just passed it when out of the corner of her eye she saw someone coming down the stairs. She squinted to get a better look, but her instinct already knew whom he was. Several others around his age followed him down to the sand, but her eyes could only focus on him.

"Hey….kids…didn't you parents teach you that drugs are for losers?" he spat out sarcastically as grabbed the joint from Brad's hand and put it up to his lips. He took a long, slow drag from the joint as he examined the group. His eyes stopped on Caitlyn, sparkling with a hint of recognition and intrigue. Holding his gaze, she could feel her face start to flush with nervousness. If that was how he looked at her sister, then she totally understood what she saw in him.

"Volchek….right?" she asked, but she already knew the answer.

Eric and Brad looked over at her in surprise and confusion, wondering how she knew this older guy. Volchek smiled slyly as he handed her the joint back. Wanting to impress him, she took as large of a breath as she could and exhaled the smoke in rings. Volchek raised his eyebrow with interest as his friends quietly lingered in the background, still engrossed in their previous conversation. How did she know who he was? There was something so familiar about her, yet he didn't remember meeting her. She kinda looked a little like….no, no way. He had to stop thinking about her. She was gone, and she hated him. He shook those thoughts out of his head and tried to find out how this mysterious girl knew him.

"And, you are?" he questioned. He motioned for the two of them to walk away from the group to somewhere more private. Looking over at the twins, she could tell that they were both intimidated by Volchek and didn't want her to go with him. They were urging her to stay by widening their eyes and swiftly shaking their heads. She could swear she saw a tinge of jealousy in Eric's eyes, but she quickly dismissed it and continued walking with Volchek. She handed the joint back to him and decided to go for it.

"Caitlyn…Caitlyn Cooper…"

Volchek's jaw dropped slightly as the realization of who she was hit him. So, she was Marissa's sister. Undoubtedly, she very much resembled her, with her long legs and perfect body. But, she was not as polished as Marissa had always seemed. She was definantly the rebellious one, not even needing someone to supply her with her stash. For a moment, he got so caught up in comparing them both physically and mentally that he didn't realize that he had been staring at her. Caitlyn cleared her throat in discomfort, secretly knowing that he was internally trying to decide whether or not he should go for it. Not wanting to give him a chance to back out, she forwardly took a step towards him and tugged slightly on the bottom of his shirt.

"Trying to decide which sister is more your type?"

Volchek couldn't help but nod, somewhat embarrassed that she had caught him sizing her up. They stopped near the end of beach and continued talking.

"Well, I think I can answer that question for you," she purred, as she leaned in closer to him. Her breath was hot on his cheek, and he thought he smelt the same shampoo that Marissa had always used. He inhaled a deep drag from the joint still in his mouth. Without further thought, he grabbed her forcefully by the back of her neck and pushed her lips onto his. Then, he blew the smoke into her mouth. She choked a little, not expecting him to do that, but she recovered quickly and blew it back into his mouth. Smiling, he pulled away and blew the smoke out. Both of them were so engrossed with the moment that they failed to notice that they were no longer alone.

"Well, what do we have here?"

The two pulled away from each other as Volchek quickly discarded the joint, realizing that they had been caught. As Volchek tried to nonchalantly put it out on the sand with his foot, the police officer eyed them both down, trying to decide which one he was going to arrest. Once he recognized one of them, the decision was made.

"Well, if it isn't my old pal Volchek….wish I could say that I was surprised to see you here, but I'm not. So, looks like we got you for possession with possible intent to sell….and,"

He looked at the young girl next to Volchek. She looked so young. It made his blood boil that Volchek would take advantage of a teenage girl like that. Remembering that his daughter was probably around the same age, he made a mental note to himself to have a talk with her about guys like him.

"and, fraternizing with a minor. I must have done something good to deserve this jackpot," he finished, pulling out his walkie-talkie to call for backup.

Caitlyn had stayed frozen the entire time, conflicted between wanting to appear cool and calm in front of this hot, older guy and terrified that she might get in trouble.

"Hands behind your back," the officer ordered to Volchek, who rolled his eyes at this insistence. However, he obeyed, and just as the officer was about to put the handcuffs on him, Caitlyn broke her silence.

"Wait…it wasn't his…it was mine!" she exclaimed.

Both of the guys looked at her in shock, not understanding why she would say something when she was going to be the one set free. Volchek furrowed his eyebrows at her in confusion, and in return, she just shrugged and nodded toward the cop. She obediently put her arms behind her back. Wanting to show Volchek that she was different and more his type than her sister, she nervously tried to brainstorm what her next move would be.

"Well, isn't this rich? What, Volchek, now your getting your prospects to take the fall for you?" the officer questioned as he shook his head at the situation. This was not panning out the way he had thought it would.

Volchek went to speak up, but he stopped himself realizing that if she was stupid enough to take the blame, he wasn't going to stop her. Then, two more bodies quickly appeared.

"WAIT…..it's not hers…..it's ours!!" Eric exclaimed, as he ran out of breath towards the officer. Brad followed behind him, furious at the position that his brother was potentially putting them into.

"Bro, what are you DOING?" Brad questioned, trying to pull Eric away from the situation and walk the other way. "Sorry, officer," he said, addressing the cop, "my brother…he's not…feeling well…We weren't involved with them…..we don't even know them." Scrowling, he eyed Caitlyn, hoping to will her to agree with him and get them off the hook. Why did they have to go down with her?

"No..man…it's okay. Yes, we do know them…and, it was ours."

Brad shook his head in disbelief. His brother was always the dumb one, getting them into situations that got them in trouble. 'Why couldn't he be more like me?' he thought to himself, shaking his head in defeat.

"So, are you trying to tell me that the 3 of you are arguing over who gets to go to jail?" the officer asked, finding it hard to believe that this was actually happening. Usually in a case like this, everyone was pointing the finger to someone else, not trying to take the blame themselves. What should he do?

Present Day

Caitlyn knew once she saw the back-up officer was an big, black, angry-looking woman that she was screwed. Any sympathy case that she could have worked on the male officer was no longer an option. But, all didn't seem lost. After all, Volchek did look impressed that she would do that. She knew Marissa sure as hell would have never done anything like that.

Looking into the uncomfortable scene in the front seat, Caitlyn plotted how she would get upstairs without confronting her mother. If only the Roberts mansion had those secret passages like the Clue game, she would have a chance. But, as it stood, she knew she was dead meat.

As Dr. Roberts pulled into the driveway, he quickly maneuvered into the house, leaving Julie and Caitlyn alone in the car. Caitlyn moved swiftly to leave the car, but was deterred when she noticed she was locked in.

"Don't even think about it," Julie spat out. She turned around in her seat to get a good look at her mischievous daughter. Eyeing her up and down, she thought she saw a little of herself in the rebellious teenager. "Now, listen to me, I'm not sure if you really understand the severity that this little….incident…could have cost you…us. You really need to start thinking about others besides yourself young lady…."

Caitlyn's mind began to wander as her mother droned on about how she was lucky that Dr. Roberts knew the judge that would be trying her and let her off with a warning and about how this could have potentially jeopardized her future in college. She couldn't stop picturing Volchek in her head, his impressed, sexy smile when he saw her get cuffed, the way he looked at her with pondering, smoldering eyes….God, could she go that route when her sister had already been there?

"Caitlyn…CAITLYN..ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?" Julie screamed, frustrated at her daughter's lack of attention.

"Yes…mother…I heard you, and I'm sorry, really. It won't happen again," Caitlyn replied in her best innocent child voice.

But Julie wasn't buying it.

"Oh, please, I've heard this one before….You're grounded for a month….no cell phone, no TV, no leaving the house….I MEAN IT!" Julie said.

Caitlyn thought about trying to argue her way out of it, but quickly decided against that when she saw that her mother was not going to budge on this one. She quietly nodded her head in defeat and secretly hoped that her mother would forget about it in a week or two. After all, she did have a man in her life. And, Julie Cooper with a man in her life doesn't often get bogged down with things as silly and unimportant as parenting.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes before Julie unlocked the door.

"If this happens again, I might be forced to resort to some tough love….and, that could potentially include no funding for your escapades and public school. You are not going to ruin this opportunity for me."

Caitlyn spilled a few tears as she hurriedly left the car. Her mother could always do that to her, make her feel like she was one step away from abandonment. Didn't she understand that her father had already done that to them? She must have known that that was the way to get under her façade. As Caitlyn ran into her room, she could overhear her mother telling Neil that she would make sure it wouldn't happen again. Caitlyn fell onto her bed, wishing that she could have been born into another gene pool. A warmer, more caring, non-judgmental one that wouldn't just leave when the going got tough. After all, that's what her father and sister had done, leaving to escape their problems.

Suddenly, Caitlyn jumped as she heard a noise at her bedroom window. She looked towards the window, unsure of what to do. Timidly, she made her way to the window as more rocks hit the glass. There, below in the grass, was Volchek, breathing slightly and motioning for her to come down. The excitement that had been temporarily lost during her stint in jail was now re-ignited as she saw his smirk. Not wanting to get caught, Caitlyn frantically looked around the room for something that would help her get down the side of the huge mansion. Settling on a few long scarves, she hurriedly tied them together and returned to the window. Haphazardly tying one end to her armoire right beside the window, she tested it for durability before beginning to shimmy down. Volchek couldn't suppress a laugh as he saw her tiny frame wiggling down the homemade rope. As she hit the ground, they bolted as quickly as they could towards the gate. He subconsciously grabbed for her hand, and her heart quickened its' pace.

Finally reaching safety, Volchek let go of her hand as he hunched down, waiting for his breathing to become normalized again before turning to her and smiling.

"Damn cigarettes….," he cursed as he pulled out his pack of Marlboros and lit another one. Caitlyn eyed him curiously, wondering why he had come to her house. He motioned to her offering a cigarette. She gladly accepted, coughing slightly as she took a deep inhale. His smirk returned as he realized just how young she really was.

For a while, they sat quietly on the grass, overlooking the ocean. Every once in a while, Caitlyn would steal a glance over at him, and he would return her gaze. She could never hold his eyes when he looked at her. It was too intense for her. She would shake her head slightly and blush. Finally, he decided he would have to initiate the conversation.

"So….uh, thanks, I guess…for taking the rap….," he said, trying to hide just how truly grateful and surprised he had been at her actions.

"Sure...it's cool. No big deal," Caitlyn replied, trying to hide just how big of a deal it actually had been.

"So, was your mom pissed?"

Caitlyn thought about how to answer this question. She was sure that he had heard about how evil her mother could be from Marissa, but she wondered if he really knew the depths of shallowness that her mother had sunk to. She shrugged lightly, not really wanting to delve any further into that topic.

Volchek could sense that he should tread very carefully, so he decided to change the topic. He pulled out his cigarette pack again, although, Caitlyn quickly identified what he pulled out of it as not being a cigarette. He lit it up, offering her a hit.

"Thought it would be the right thing to pay you back….," he mumbled, hoping not to sound too sweet.

"That's sweet….but, it totally ruins your image," she smiled as she took a deep breath into her mouth.

There the two of them sat, mostly silent, except for the occasional questions that two young people interested in each other would ask. For a while, they just sat and watched the stars. Later, when Caitlyn had decided it would be safe to go back home because her mother would never be up that late, Volchek walked her back to her house. Not hesitately one moment longer, he grabbed her forcefully and threw her up against the gate of the house. Startled, she let out an anticipating moan before he kissed her deeply. For several minutes, the two just sat entangled in lust. Finally, he broke away and looked at her with a slight smirk on his face.

"Yep…..definantly a Cooper," he said as he swiftly turned around and left.


	7. Little Miss Sunshine

Hello people…I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Julie, and I'm a sporadic poster on my fanfic. Sorry everyone who has been dying. I know how that is as a fan myself. Here's some good stuff to tide you over to the next chapter.

Chapter VII: Little Miss Sunshine

Marissa sat on the private dock just outside her room. The sun was soaking her slender body with sweat as she enjoyed her first actual free time to herself since she had gotten on the boat. Everything had happened so fast ever since she stepped off that plane and back into her eager dad's arms.

Flashback

"MARISSA!" Jimmy screamed across the airport as he spotted his beautiful daughter walking out of the terminal. He noticed right away that she looked tired and burdened, but he would wait to get to that later. Right now, all he wanted was to look her in the eyes and tell her how much he had missed her.

Marissa heard her name being called, and looked around the fairly crowded airport to see her dad, tanner and toner than she had remembered, motioning for her to come towards him. As she did, she couldn't help but feel like a little girl again, so excited to see her dad that she broke out into a run and tackled him to the ground. Jimmy let out an exasperated but content sigh as he and his daughter rolled around the airport floor laughing and squeezing each other tightly. People were staring and some were laughing, but at that moment, neither of them cared.

As Jimmy pulled away, he could see Marissa was crying. He couldn't quite gauge what emotions were driving her to tears, but he could sense that it wasn't just happiness to see him.

"Maybe we should get up and give the on-lookers a break….," he joked, hoping to bring a smile onto his daughter's face. It worked, and as they stood up, Marissa wiped her tears with her jacket sleeve.

"So, kiddo….it's so great to finally see you again. I know…last time…we didn't end on the best of terms. In fact, I was pretty sure that you weren't going to want to see me ever….,"

"Dad, it's okay," she interrupted, "I was angry, but you're my dad, and I understand."

They made their way to the baggage claim hand in hand, just relishing in each other's presence.

"So, how is your life? I know I missed a lot of important things this last year….how was graduation?"

Marissa let the memories wash over her again….the ugly caps, the endless pictures her mother and Neil took, Summer crying, Ryan, Ryan, Ryan. She shook her head to let the memories rest as she struggled to her answer her father's question without showing too much. But, he knew that look very well. And, even though he was tempted to let it slide and not bring it up, he knew that it would have to be talked about sooner or later, so he might as well try to get it out in the air.

"I know that look…it's your "Ryan" look. It may have been a while since I've seen you, but I'm still your father, and I know you." Sensing her discomfort at just the mention of his name, he treaded very carefully. "Now, I'm not gonna push you to talk about it just yet," he smiled as she raised her eyebrow at him, "but, I can tell something's up…and, we got a long time to talk about it. For now, let's just get your stuff and get you home. I'll bet you're jet-lagged…,"

Marissa was thankful that he wasn't going to push the topic today. She wordlessly followed him as he grabbed her bags off the belt and directed them towards the door. The car ride home that followed was also mostly quiet, although Jimmy's hand did give her shoulder a comforting squeeze. He could sense that something had hurt her, and it was hard to keep from protecting his daughter from any guy that would make her feel this way. But, he knew Ryan, and his intentions with her were nothing but pure. It must have been a misunderstanding. If there was something that Ryan and Marissa didn't need any more of, it was misunderstandings.

Once they got to the dock, Jimmy woke Marissa up from her half-asleep state. She jolted a bit with surprise, slowly re-orientating herself with these unfamiliar surroundings. As she exited the car, stretching gently to ease the strain caused by her uncomfortable sleeping position, she took in the sight before her. The boat was massive, even bigger than she had imagined it would be, and full of working people getting everything ready for the set-off day tomorrow. The skyline was just getting dark, but she could still see the twinkling of the shining ocean below. She glanced over at her father, and when she saw his face beaming with the pride that can only come from getting your life back on track, she began to feel at ease, even eager for the adventures to come.

"Wow…it's…," Marissa said, struggling to find the words to describe the scene before her.

"I know…you see why I wanted you to come?"

She smiled at her dad, hugging him tightly as they sat watching the sunset for a few moments.

"You ready for the grand tour?" Jimmy asked, motioning for her to follow him as he started his way up the ramp. Taking a deep breath, she obliged, letting her father's infectious excitement slowly infiltrate her every step.

Present Day

That was two months ago. As she lay back onto her waiting lounge chair, Marissa realized that a lot had probably changed in Newport since she had been gone. She wondered if Ryan had a new girlfriend, or if he was going to stay true to his promise even after the way they had left each other. There hadn't been enough time for Marissa to even think, let alone find someone to date. They were in Spain now, and her dad had gone to the local market to stock up on fresh food supplies. Being the captain's helper had sounded like it would be easy and fun, but Marissa had quickly learned that it was hard work. Whenever her father wasn't available, she was the first person people came to. A change in course, weather concerns, unhappy guests, and employee disputes. Marissa had a newfound respect for sailors. Being anywhere with all these strangers 24-7 could really stress a girl out.

But, it wasn't all bad. She had made friends with this guy, Paolo, who was around her age. He worked in the dining area, and sometimes, at night, they would sneak out of their rooms and meet for a midnight pig-out session on the days' leftovers. They would sit on the edge of the dock, talking, telling stories about their homes, and curing their hunger pains from the day's worth of being too busy to eat. Sometimes, Paolo would stare at her in the moonlight, and she could feel that he wanted there to be something more between them. However, when Marissa gave him the short version of her relationship with Ryan, he knew that it wasn't the time.

Paolo had left for a two-day vacation back to Portugal yesterday. He had invited her to come along and meet his parents, but Marissa had decided that she needed a day to herself. Looking disappointed but understanding, Paolo told her not to get too lonely without him. As she waved goodbye, Jimmy watched from a short distance. He could sense his daughter's hesitation to get close to Paolo, and, knowing that things with Ryan may never be fully resolved, he decided now was the time to talk.

Flashback

"Hey kiddo…," Jimmy smiled as he approached his daughter on the back loading dock of the giant boat. It was a beautiful day, with the sun was beating down onto the water, making it look almost clear in reflection. Jimmy noticed that his daughter's hair had turned significantly lighter and her skin was a dark tan. She looked thin, but more muscular than he had remembered. 'Probably from lifting all those first aid supplies yesterday,' he thought to himself and grinned. His little baby was really growing up.

"Hi dad….," she said, distractedly.

"I'm alright…..," he said, "Paolo leaving?"

Marissa broke her gaze from where her friend had just been and looked into her father's eyes. She nodded softly, sensing that there was something he needed to say to her.

"So, what's up?" she asked.

"Oh…I just wanted to see if you wanted to come with me to town tomorrow. I have to get some fresh fruits and vegetables for the chefs. Remember…we're having that banquet Saturday?"

Marissa remembered the banquet. Her friend Maili had told her about it, and how fun the last one had been. It was for the employees only, while the guests were docked for a night in Ibiza. Paolo had hinted that he wanted to ask her, but Marissa wasn't sure if she wanted to go. She had had more than her fair share of formals and dances in Newport, and it had been somewhat refreshing not having to get dressed up and pretend to be something she wasn't. Her dad knew that, so he hadn't pushed her.

"Yeah….I don't think so. I think I'm just gonna stay here, relax, get some sun, sleep…You know, I hear the captain is a slave-driver," she joked, trying to change the subject.

Jimmy laughed, shooting her a sideways glance.

"Oh…come on, I'm not that bad."

"I know, you're great dad…I'm just….not really ready to go to another dance. You do know I got a little burned-out on them in Newport."

"Yeah…I know, me too kiddo. You don't have to go….it's just…," he said, treading carefully, "I know that Paolo wanted to ask you."

Marissa's head dropped, knowing that she couldn't avoid this topic any longer.

"I know he does….it's just…with the way things ended with Ryan, I just have no idea where we are. And, if I did that, when I went back, it would be that much harder….you know?"

Jimmy's heart hurt a little when he heard her say "when". He had known that she would have to leave sometime. But, he had guessed he had thought maybe he could entice her to stay forever with the amazing scenery and family atmosphere. However, it had to be hard for her to be away from Ryan for so long. He quietly put his arm around her, and they stood silent for a bit, basking in the sunlight.

"You should call him……at least, to find out what you should do. I know that the way things ended didn't leave you with much closure, but you can't just pause your life for something that you don't know for sure is going to be there when you get back. Look at me and your mother….we split up, I left, and she moved on with Caleb. Now, I'm not saying that Ryan is ANYTHING like your mother….but, you just need to know that life goes on. He wouldn't want to hold you back from experiencing anything…or anyone," he noted, hoping to get his point across, "while you're here."

The tear that Marissa had been fighting to suppress finally fell with the realization that her father was right. She could be missing out on something with Paolo by not letting go of what happened with Ryan. Maybe she should call him.

"Thanks, Dad…," she said as she wiped the tear away. "I guess I'll see you later. Gotta get that last shipment of toiletries in by tonight or Mrs. Leibermann is going to have a fit."

As she walked away, Jimmy silently hoped that he hadn't pointed his daughter in the wrong direction.

Present Day

Marissa sighed quietly as she grabbed her new issue of Vogue and slathered her body with more sunscreen. As she sat back to delve into the world of fashion and beauty that seemed to be only a distant memory, her phone began to ring. Lifting herself back up with a heavy, frustrated grunt, Marissa reached for her cell phone. Without looking at the caller ID, she answered it.

"Yes…," she said curtly, hoping it was a wrong number so she could get back to her tanning.

"Coop?" the voice on the other end said meekly. Marissa perked up at this, knowing immediately who it was and sensing something very wrong with her voice.

"Summer? Are you okay? What's wrong?" she asked, her former impatience and aggravation gone from her tone as she wondered what was wrong with her usually perky friend. She heard a few loud sniffles before Summer spoke up.

"It's….it's Seth. I don't know, I was packing last night for Brown. And, he just called me, and he said something about deciding he was going to transfer here to Berkeley."

At the mention of Berkeley, Marissa knew that this had something to do with Ryan. Usually, when Seth and Summer would fight, she wouldn't worry too much because they would always find some way to work it out. But, if Seth was talking about staying in California, something must be up.

"Sum….wait, hold on. What made Seth decide to do this? It doesn't have anything to do with…," Marissa said, growing silent with curiosity. Unable to finish her train of thought, she was overcome with all of the possibilities. Was Ryan okay? Why did he need Seth to watch after him?

Summer drew in a deep breath, not exactly knowing how she was going to break this news to her best friend. She didn't want to tell her the hard truth, that Ryan's brooding had pushed him to the irrational decision to defer college. Marissa deserved to have a happy, stress-free vacation without having to hear about Ryan's incapability to move on. But, if, or hopefully when, she decided to come back, would she have been gone too long to repair what had been broken?

"Summer….what is it? What happened?" The panic in Marissa's voice had become very evident as her heartbeat involuntarily increased. This is what happened every time that Marissa worried about Ryan. Just the thought that he may not be okay sent her into worry overload.

Summer sniffled, holding back her tears, knowing that this could possibly affect Marissa's decision to stay on her dad's boat or come back to Newport.

"Well…Coop, Ryan hasn't been doing so good. I mean, we expected his usual post-Coop brooding session. But, it's been two months, and he still hasn't shaken it. Of course, he would never talk to anyone, and I think it's really getting to him. Last Monday…he told Sandy and Kirsten that he had decided to defer college for a semester. And, that's when Seth decided that he was transferring to Berkeley…so that Ryan would change his mind and want to go again."

Marissa gasped in shock. She couldn't believe that Ryan would do something like that. There had to be something more to this…Ryan wouldn't just drop all that he had worked so hard for because of a fight with her….would he? The thought that while she had been sailing around Europe, flirting with Paolo, he had been staying up late not able sleep, really made her feel guilty. But, even though Ryan had been known to dwell on the negative, she still couldn't believe that he would just drop his dreams. No, there had to be something else….something Summer wasn't telling her.

"Summ…what happened? Believe me, it has been hard for me, too…wondering where he and I stand, wishing that I could take back some of the horrible things I said, hoping that there is still a chance…but, I just can't believe that Ryan would throw away the future he's worked so hard for over a fight we had. There has to be something else…what is it?"

Summer shook her head in defeat, not entirely surprised that Marissa had been able to see through her so easily from halfway around the world. She guessed that that's why Marissa was her best friend; she knew every trick Summer would use, seeing straight through them even when she wasn't physically there.

"Listen, Coop…I really can't talk right now. There's someone beeping in on the other line…maybe it's Seth," she said, the tears returning to her eyes as his image once again flooded her brain.

Before Marissa could formulate an excuse to keep her on the phone, Summer hung up. Marissa pulled the phone away, looking at it to make sure of what had just happened. She knew Summer wasn't telling her something, and she could only imagine what it may be.


	8. chapter 8: In Desperate Need of the Sand

I've decided to kind of incorporate a storyline from the show, post-Marissa's death. I thought it could fit in pretty good with the direction my story is going. Hope you like. I can't say that I'm shocked by the news that this is the last year for the show. However, I can't believe FOX canceled it mid-season instead of letting it finish out the year. You suck Fox!! Anyways, tangent aside, thanks for all the GREAT reviews! Feedback is so important to me, so please speak up and review! For those of you curious about the return of Ryan's possible relative Frances, yes, she will be back. But, not for a while. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter VIII: In Desperate Need of the Sandy Cohen Schmear

Seth couldn't sleep. For the life of him, he couldn't understand how he got himself into messes like this. He poured himself another cup of coffee and then plopped his Incredible Hulk pajama-clad self back onto the living room sofa. No matter how many different video games he tried to use as a distraction, he couldn't get her voice out of his head.

Flashback

"Cohen…what's going on? Listen, I know something's up. I saw Chino yesterday all bloody and beat up. What happened?" she inquired, knowing that if she was going to find out anything, her best bet was to pry it out of Seth. Folding her arms in frustration as her boyfriend tried to nonchalantly pretend that he hadn't heard her, Summer refused to let him leave until she got some answers. Seth looked around the Roberts' kitchen for some help, hoping that one of the pans would mysteriously crash so that his girlfriend's attention would be diverted from this line of questioning. Glimpsing sideways at her to see if she was still staring him down, and when he saw that there was no way he was going to get out of this one, he conceded.

"Okay…look," he ushered her into the hallway and up the stairs, not wanting anyone to overhear this. Once they had reached Summer's room, Seth double-checked the door into the bathroom she shared with Marissa, even though he knew she was halfway across the world. "So….the other day, Ryan saw something. Something that got him kinda riled up. I can't really go into specifics right now, but let's just say he jumped into the situation without really thinking, and it ended up backfiring."

Summer's brow wrinkled with confusion, wondering if he could possibly be any more vague. It didn't sound good. She speculated on why he was being so methodical in checking the house. It wasn't as if Marissa was there. Who else could he be so paranoid about keeping this information from? Her patience was wearing thin; she needed more details and she was not going to get it from Seth. There must be a Plan B. While she was internally creating her alternate route to the truth, Seth was still rambling, every once in a while glancing at her, hoping she had been appeased with what he had divulged. Then, it hit her….she was going to have to go to the source. Eyes lighting up with a mixture of self-gratification and nervousness, Summer was shaken out of her head by her curious boyfriend.

"Summer? Are you okay? You look a little pale. Here, let me get you a glass of water," Seth said, springing into action, secretly hoping to reroute her attention upon the only thing he knew could distract her….herself.

Summer grinned at his cuteness when he was worried about her. She hoped that after he found out she had gone around his back for more information about this that he wouldn't be too upset with her.

As Seth returned with the water, Summer had decided that they had done enough talking and set the water down haphazardly on her nightstand, suddenly only interested in the carnal pleasures that she enjoyed so much with her man.

Present Day

A slight grin that had appeared on Seth's face at the revisiting of that memory was swiftly replaced with the realization that he had screwed everything up. He didn't know if he was going to be able to fix this one. As he fiddled for the remote, he noticed the clock. 6:14 A.M. Boy, he was glad it was Saturday. That gave him all weekend to sulk and try to figure out some grand scheme to both save his relationship and still stick to the plan of enrolling at U.C. with Ryan. There was no way he was going to let Ryan go by himself. With everything that had happened, he wasn't sure if he could trust his brother not to go looking for trouble.

Summer had sounded so hurt when he had told her, as he had anticipated she would. After all they had weathered together, she was finding it hard to believe that Seth couldn't tell her why he had decided to forego the east coast school he had so long dreamed of in favor for four more years in California. But, honestly, he couldn't really divulge all the details because he knew that it could potentially ruin everything.

That fateful night one week ago, when he had rolled into the house after spending the afternoon at the comic book store, he could immediately sense that all was not well in the Cohen house. Heading out to the pool house, he was not at all prepared for the sight in front of him.

Flashback

"Hey, man…you're not going to believe it! The new Cavalier and Clay came out two weeks early! Dude, don't sweat it, I got you a copy. Here you…" Seth stopped as the as-yet unseen figure of his brother came into full view. Ryan gingerly turned over in his bed, his wife beater doing little to hide the evidence of what Seth could only describe as an absolute ass beating.

"Holy shit, dude! What happened?" Seth screeched, his panicky voice echoing loudly through pool house. He rushed towards the bed, completely unsure of what to do. "Are you okay? Well, obviously you're not okay…or else you wouldn't like you had tangled with some demon water polo player. Who did this? Someone you know…or just a random ass whooping? Was this over some girl? I thought you had learned your lesson with Marissa…"

As Seth rambled on and on, just as interested in the possible scenarios playing out in his head as he was in the truth, Ryan silently begged for the pounding in his head to go away. He had to get Seth to be quiet; he was only making a bad situation worse.

"SETH!!!" Ryan yelled, hoping to convey with his tone his need for some much-needed peace and quiet. Seth abruptly stopped his tangent and focused solely on Ryan. He knew that what was about to come out of his brother's mouth could potentially change things. But, this was a time when Ryan needed him the most, so, no matter how inwardly scared he may be, he had to push that aside no matter what the circumstances may be.

"Sorry, man..You know me," he replied, lowering his intensity level, "but seriously, what happened? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

At this question, Ryan perked up with interest. The last thing he wanted to do right now was to sit in a cold, white room while doctors and police poked and prodded at him.

"No…no…it's fine. Look, it was just an accident, alright? I'll be fine. No big deal," Ryan said, hoping this would appease Seth, at least until he could formulate his story. If he was going to get his revenge, there was no way anyone could know about this, especially not Seth. But, how was he going to cover this one up? He could wear long sleeved shirts and pants to cover the bruises and scratches on his body, but there was no way he could cover up his big, black eye.

"Yeah…sure, man. That heinous purple mark looks totally like an accident, right? Let me guess," he continued sarcastically, "you…tripped, fell, and landed on someone's fist? But, the juicier question is….whose fist? Cause let's face it, pretty much every fight you've been in since you got here, you've won. But, in this instance," he moves closer to examine just how much damage had been done, "it looks like you might have been out-matched. Come on, man…we're not in high school anymore. You can trust me. I won't tell anyone."

The look on Seth's face hoped to convey that he was serious about this.

"Alright," Ryan sighed, secretly relieved that there was someone else who would know what was going on. Seth was right; he had been outmatched. Actually, outnumbered would probably be the more accurate word. "So, last night, while you were out with Summer….I was getting off from my shift at the restaurant…."

Ryan had started working part-time at the Mexican restaurant Dos Hombre's down in the mall near Seth's favorite comic book store. As he cautiously continued with his explanation, not wanting to worry Seth to the point of telling Sandy and Kirsten, his recollections of that night came back very vividly to him. The unnerving looks the three older guys had given him when they followed him to his car in the alleyway behind the mall, the cynical smirk the tallest one hadn't tried to suppress when he smashed the front windshield of the car Ryan's mom had saved so long to buy for him, how his body fell so easily back into the tactic of shutting down and preserving energy until the worst part was over. After they had gotten their fill, they sat smoking, betting on how long it would take before Ryan got up. Once he finally stirred and sought to bring himself to his feet, the dark-haired one felt it necessary to get in one final kick to the stomach while the others put their cigarettes out.

'Your friend Volchek sent us to give you this,' he choked out, still somewhat winded from the activity he had just endured. As he walked away, he dropped a piece of paper on the ground at Ryan's side. He saw this, and, although it felt like he might explode with any sudden movement, Ryan strained to catch this note before it landed in the puddle next to him. As he opened the note to read what his enemy had wrote, the adrenaline that had been masking the pain started to wear off, and Ryan was left with the full weight of just how bad they had really hurt him.

'Don't worry…I haven't forgotten you. The time is coming. We'll settle this once and for all. You game?'

Ryan shook himself out of the memory, refocusing on Seth, who looked like he was about to combust with curiosity.

"Look, if I tell you, you have to swear that you won't tell your parents."

"Ryan, how many times do we have to tell you, they're YOUR parents, too? And, it's fine. I know, I haven't always been the best with my stealthicity…Whoa! Is that even a word? I'm going with it…makes me sound all brainy and stuff…"

Ryan raised his eyebrow at him.

"I know, I know…serious moment once again totally ruined by my Coheny Cohenisms, as Summer would say, but, I swear man, I won't tell the rents," he offered, the worry again returning to his face as he sat down on his brother's bed, getting a more clear view of exactly how of shape Ryan was in.

Taking a deep breath in before what he was hoping would be a short conversation, Ryan began his account of that night's events.

"Okay…so, like I said, I was walking to my car after work, when these three guys started following me. I noticed them, but I wasn't sure if they were just getting off of work too, or what. But, as I got closer to my car, they kinda swarmed around me…and, I didn't know what was going on, but then they were jumping me. I tried to fight back for a while, but finally, one of them pulled out a club and hit me, and then I blacked out. I woke up a little later, and they were all sitting around, smoking cigarettes, talking about me like I wasn't even there. Then, one of them," he said, his voice getting angrier as the image came back into his mind, "kicked me in the stomach and threw this note down at me."

As Ryan leaned over to show the note to Seth, a sudden, sharp pain burst through his ribs. He winced uncontrollably, but then quickly regained his composure. He couldn't let Seth see just how bad this was. He could destroy everything if he went to the cops.

"Volchek?" Seth asked, although he already knew the response. Ryan nodded his head in accord. Seth now understood why Ryan hadn't wanted Sandy or Kirsten to know about this; it wasn't over yet. He knew they would try and stop Ryan from getting involved in this, and, although they would probably be right, Ryan couldn't let this one go. There had already been major dissention between the two guys for a while, but now, it was serious. Someone had to win this feud once and for all, or who knows how long it could go on. "So, what are you going to do?"

Carefully thinking about his answer, Ryan finally admitted, "I don't know….but, I need to go see him. Get to him on my terms…without his…friends."

Seth looked him right in the eyes. That moment, with no words being spoken, he and Ryan finally understood each other. Wanting to help, he got up from the bed and went into the pool house bathroom in search of some aspirin for his brother's pain.

Present Day

"Seth? What are doing down here? Did you fall asleep playing video games again? Remember what I told you? You'll never get a good night's sleep in front of a blue screen."

Groggily, Seth opened his eyes to see his mother standing in front of him with a cup of coffee.

"Thanks," he murmured while grabbing for the steaming hot cup. Quickly, he looked over to see the still half-full one sitting on the coffee table. Kirsten followed his eyes, and softly shook her head when she realized both of her sons were prone to pulling all-night brooding sessions over their women problems.

"Well, at least I can be good for something," she lightly jabbed, reaching for the old cup, and walking it into the kitchen. Then, she walked back into the living room. She knew her son must be really upset about what had happened with Summer, and, although she still wasn't sure what prompted his decision, she knew how much Summer meant to him, so she wanted to be there for him. But, then again, she didn't want to give him the impression that he could keep tugging with her heart this way without any kind of explanation.

Something felt fishy. Why would Ryan need Seth with him at Berkeley? In the past, it had always been the other way around. They had both been acting very strange for the last week or so; Ryan had barely come up for air out of the pool house, even choosing to eat his meals in solitude, and Seth's usual comedy routines had ceased, being replaced by worried, somber glances towards the pool house.

"You know, whatever is going on with you, you can talk to me…I won't push you, but just know that I'm here if you need me."

It was moments like this when it was the hardest for Seth not to crack. He wanted to tell his mom about how Ryan had gone over to Volchek's apartment, only to have the door answered by a half-naked Caitlyn Cooper, how she had proudly told Ryan that Volchek had gotten his G.E.D and had gotten some friend of his to pull some strings to get him into U.C Berkeley, how Ryan had almost passed out with disbelief. But, he couldn't. The only thing he could do was to try and convince his mother that his motives towards transferring to Berkeley were not tainted with fear for his brother's life.

"Thanks, mom…I know…it's just, right now, it's complicated. I'll you know though."

Seth got up off the couch, taking another much-needed sip of his coffee. He hurriedly hugged Kirsten as he made his way for his early morning sustenance. Today he was definantly in need of a bagel with the famous Sandy Cohen smear.


	9. Don't Shoot the Messenger

So, I'm sure some of you are wondering how everything is going to tie together. Well, last night I had an epiphany as far as this story's direction is concerned. I really think/hope that y'all (Texas girl) will like it. I've been doing different chapters from different characters points of view. I feel like there are so many complex and interesting characters on this show that I can't possibly just focus on R/M or S/S. Here's the next chapter through Caitlyn's eyes, with the tail end focusing on Ryan's past.

Chapter IX: Don't Shoot the Messenger

There was a part of Caitlyn that missed the life she had led when she went to boarding school. A small part. And, that part didn't include the heinous uniforms, the unyielding teachers, the never-changing regime, and especially the lacking of hot boys. But, now that she was back in Newport, she knew that those problems would now be a thing of the past. Looking around Volchek's messy loft, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy that she had not been the first Cooper girl to inhabit these sheets. She wondered what her sister would think when she found out. Knowing that it was only a matter of time before someone let it slip, Caitlyn smiled at the thought of her sister coming in second in someone's eyes. Even if Marissa had always been the apple of her parents eyes, Volchek was all her's.

"Hey sexy," he huffed, opening the door from the bathroom, revealing his toned abs to her. Caitlyn couldn't help but stare at him as he came closer to her. He walked slowly, relishing her eyes taking long glances at his towel-clad body. Just as he had reached her side and was beginning to lean in for a kiss, the doorbell startled the two out of their trance and back into reality. Volchek bolted upright and began to haphazardly hide all of his drug paraphernalia into his dresser. Caitlyn's eyes widened with a mixture of excitement and fear, not knowing what to do. As if sensing her unease with the situation, Volchek knew he would have to direct her through this. Damn kids, he thought.

"Go see who it is, will ya?" he gestured towards the door, hoping she would take the hint.

Caitlyn looked at the door, still paralyzed with worry over who might be on the other side of it. It wasn't as if Caitlyn had never answered a door before or she had never dealt with cops before, but this felt different. Knowing that there were enough illegal drugs in this place to put her away for a long time drove Caitlyn's senses into overdrive. She crept towards the door, checking back to see Volchek finish his quick stashing. As she looked through the peephole, two eyes that she had never thought would be standing in front of Volchek's door met her gaze. They were piercing blue….man, her sister did have great taste.

"It's…Ryan," she whispered as she looked back to him for her next move.

Unlike his younger cohort, Volchek had been expecting this visit, although, admittedly, not this soon. As he tried to formulate how he was going to deal with this, his eyes rested upon an option he hadn't even thought of throwing into the mix. Caitlyn. How much would it boil Ryan's blood to see Marissa's sister here? That realization populated all sorts of new possibilities into Volchek's mind.

"Alright…come here. I have an idea," he quickly posited, as Ryan impatiently knocked again. Caitlyn interestedly rushed to hear Volchek's scheme. She settled her right hand onto his bare thigh. "You answer the door….tell him I ain't here," he rushed quickly, "But, make sure you let him know that you're here for more than just a late night study session." Smiling as she rubbed her hand up his thigh, he grabbed the bottom of his oversize t-shirt that she was wearing to emphasize his next statement. "And, why don't you go ahead and let it slip that I passed my G.E.D and got a friend to get me into Berkeley, so I'll be seeing him around soon," he snided, nodding triumphantly as he imagined how his enemy would take that news, "and, once you're done, then come into the bathroom, and I'll clean you up." He grabbed her from behind and kissed her roughly, leaving her breathless and hungry for more before giving her the go-ahead look and then hastily retreating back into the bathroom.

Caitlyn turned towards the door, hesitating a moment before brushing through her still-tangled hair with her fingers.

"Come on, man…We NEED to settle this!! Unless, YOU'RE NOT MAN ENOUGH TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT YOUR BUDDIES!!"

Caitlyn still had no idea what Ryan was talking about, but she had never heard him sound so livid. What she wouldn't give to see both of these guys go at each other. Maybe in a puddle of sticky mud. Brushing that thought to the back of her mind, she opened the door slightly, peeking her head out at him. He looked even more irate than she had imagined he would by hearing his voice.

Once he realized who had answered to door, Ryan's expression changed from fuming mad to utter shock and confusion. For a moment, he could have sworn that he was staring back at Marissa. Since her hair had gotten lighter in the summer and she had grown a few inches, Caitlyn was really starting to resemble her sister. He wasn't really seeing what he thought he was, was he? Ryan leaned back to make sure he had the right door. It looked just like it had last time.

"You're at the right place," she sauntered, openly enjoying the bewilderment on his face. "He's not here right now…"

"Wh….what are you doing here?" he stammered, just now noticing that she was only wearing a large t-shirt, a man's t-shirt….it had to be… "No way, Caitlyn, what in the HELL are you doing HERE?!" Ryan grabbed at her shoulder, hoping that he could force her out of this potential mess that she had gotten herself into. "Caitlyn, if this is some kind of sick joke….or a way to get back at your sister for leaving, it's a bad idea. Does…does your mother know you're here?" he posited, wondering what Julie would think if she knew her younger daughter was off gallivanting with an older man. And, Volchek especially. The thought that he might have used Caitlyn to get to him or to Marissa really infuriated Ryan.

"No…of course she doesn't. She's too doped up to even notice. I bet she still thinks I'm staying at Ashley's from last weekend." She let a bitter laugh escape her lips as she imagined her mother rationalizing her behavior to Neil, reassuring him that she was just "being a teenager", while secretly worrying herself to the point of needing medication to get through the day.

That laugh of hers' resounded heavily in Ryan's mind. He remembered how Marissa had used it as a shield to cover her wounds when they were fighting. Downward spirals were a common occurrence in the Cooper family, and seeing Caitlyn here, obviously lashing out at someone by hanging out with Volchek, brought back familiar feelings within him. What was it with these Cooper girls that always made him want to save them? He didn't know, but he did know that if she continued hanging out here, it could only lead to trouble. And if Marissa were to find out, he was sure it would not turn out good.

"Caitlyn, look, we need to get you out of here. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. Just…come with me. We'll get your clothes, and I'll give you…" he said, trying to squeeze his way into the loft.

Caitlyn sprung into action, remembering Volchek's words and knowing that she had to get Ryan out of there before they met face to face.

"Stop, Ryan. Listen," she demanded, her tone shunning its' previous seductive sound for a more agitated one, "I'm not my sister. You don't need to save me out of some desperate and pathetic wish to make things right with her. She's halfway across the world. Do you honestly think she's thinking about you?"

Ryan had wondered the answer to this question for so many nights. His brow furrowed as the harshness of what Caitlyn was saying hit him. Maybe she was right, maybe he was holding on to something that was meant to stay in the past. Since he had never even tried to contact Marissa and apologize, was she still assuming that Volchek was right, that he had cheated on her? Caitlyn sensed that she had struck a nerve, so she decided that now was the best time to hit him with the news that she was sure would send him reeling.

"And, Volchek did tell me that if you stopped by…that he had a message for you."

This omission brought Ryan back from his regret-induced trance. Was this part of Volchek's plan? To use Caitlyn as bait for another attack by his cronies? His eyes started to dart around what little he could see of the apartment. Caitlyn seemed very intent upon not letting him in. What was she hiding?

"Oh yeah….and what's that? Since he's obviously too much of a COWARD," he yelled, emphasizing just in case there was someone behind the door listening, "to tell me himself."

Caitlyn jumped at Ryan's surprising variation in volume, hoping that he wasn't suspecting that she was hiding something, or someone inside the apartment. What would she do if he forced his way in and found him? Her instincts flew into overdrive as she tried to remember what Volchek had instructed her to say.

"Look Ryan…take another hit off the paranoid pipe, kay? Cause, he ain't here. Just…chill…don't shoot the messenger."

Ryan took a deep breath and realized that involving Caitlyn in this any more than she already had been was not a smart move, especially if he ever wanted a chance with Marissa in the future. Looking at Caitlyn, he could see that behind this tough-girl veneer that she was putting up, it was just as difficult for her to be without Marissa as it was for him, albeit for mostly different reasons. He wanted to tell her that this wasn't the way to go about seeking approval from a sister that was half a world away, but he hastily realized that if he did, he would be a hypocrite, the pot calling the kettle black. Was it worse to wear your emotions on your sleeve, thus lashing out in jealousy and resentment, or to repress your emotions until they boiled over in violence?

"Sorry…I'm just a little anxious to get this resolved. Now, you said he had a message for me. What is it?"

Caitlyn breathed in a secret sigh of relief that her plan of diverting Ryan's attention from getting into the apartment had worked.

"He told me to let you know that after he took his G.E.D, he got a friend to get him into Berkeley this fall..."

She smiled triumphantly as she saw the color drain from Ryan's face. Obviously, this was not meant to be taken as good news. However, she couldn't help but stifle a laugh as Ryan fought his imagination over the possibilities that could stem from this revelation. Did this mean that Ryan would have to be constantly watching his back at college? He wasn't sure if he could live like that, always on edge. He had done it once before, but in that situation he had had no choice in the matter. Was it too late to think about transferring to another school or deferring for a semester? No, he thought. Ryan Atwood was not going to cower in defeat while Marissa's smug little sister savored his despair. Who knows what lies Volchek had told her to get her to act this way towards him.

"So I guess he'll be seeing you there," she finished, "I'll tell him you stopped by. Bye Ryan."

And with that said, Caitlyn shut the door on him. Knowing that he would probably stay to see if he could hear another voice inside the apartment, she retreated immediately to the bathroom, where to her pleasant surprise Volchek had already prepared a tempting bubble bath for her. Just as he was about to voice his approval of her handling of the task he had delegated, she hurriedly placed her fingers on his lips. She pointed towards the door to indicate that Ryan was still within hearing distance. As his eyes narrowed in understanding, Volchek decidedly pulled off the shirt Caitlyn was wearing and started assaulting her body with rough, passionate kisses. Moaning with consent, she helped him undress, and they both jumped in the bathtub.

For such a young girl, Caitlyn sure did seem to know what she was doing. And, although Volchek knew that he was only using her because she reminded him of her much more tempting sister, he couldn't get enough of her. This unspoken arrangement seemed to benefit both of them, and Volchek could only hope that she wouldn't do anything stupid to ruin that, like fall in love with him.

Meanwhile, unable to move due to the sneaking suspicion that Caitlyn, in fact, was not alone, Ryan stood silently at the door. Pensively pondering over his next move, he listened at the door as Caitlyn trotted into another room in the apartment and shut the door. Guess I was wrong, he thought.

As he dejectedly abandoned his post at Volchek's front door, his mood transformed once again from apprehensive and solemn to heated and about to bubble over. He had to get some of this aggression he had pent up from the last week's worth of unfortunate situations that he had found himself involved in. Deciding that the punching bag he had installed in the Cohen's pool house was not going to satiate his need to vent his hostility, Ryan absent-mindedly searched the streets of Newport for a place to calm himself down. But, he knew that there was only one place that could give him the kind of environment he was seeking.

Before Ryan knew what he was doing, he found himself back at the place he had been trying for so long to avoid…the place where bad things always seemed to find him…the place where his dreams had been prematurely crushed…Chino. The day had since turned to night, and Ryan was at the one place where he knew he could unleash his frustration on someone.

When he had been a younger boy, Ryan would escape from his house over to Theresa's house when his dad started becoming violent. Sometimes, they would just sit and talk; dreaming of things that they were sure would never come true. For a new bike, or maybe a new pair of designer jeans. After a while, all those material things seemed unimportant, and there was only one wish that Ryan hoped for: to be able to defend his mom from his dad.

Then, other times, Ryan and Arturo would go to this local hangout, Jack's, and sneak into their attic to watch the underground street-fighting league they had going on. Theresa didn't like it there, and would often beg Ryan not to go. But, it quickly became like an addiction for him. Seeing all of these repressed, raging men taking out their lives' disappointments on each other totally fascinated him. Pretty soon thereafter, Ryan had started stepping out of the shadows from Jack's dirty attic and into the ring.

Flashback

"Alright, fellas...LISTEN UP!" Charlie, the announcer exclaimed as he herded the sweaty, agitated men into a semi-circle. "You know the rules…new matches first. Tonight we have newbie Ryan, although I'm told he's been watching fights from the attic for several years now."

Ryan ducked his head, embarrassed that his secret had been revealed in front of all these much-older men.

"So…let's initiate him in right…HOW BOUT IT?"

The men erupted into applause, anxious with anticipation to see this young, fresh meat get his ass kicked. To them, there was nothing like the smell of untainted blood.

"Now, I think it's only right that we give him the man that has become the right of passage, if you will, for all newbies. THE MAN, THE MYTH……THE INITIATOR!"

Ryan had known when he agreed to take the fight that they would be putting him against Bill, The Initiator, Walsh. He was the toughest guy in there, working construction by day and training by night for a career in professional wrestling that had never come. For the past six months, he had forgone his solo training in favor of this no-holds-barred style of grappling. Ryan had seen many a new guy meet their match with this 6"5, 220 beast. It was almost as if he got some sort of revenge by beating the crap out of unsuspecting strangers. As he saw Bill moving closer to the ring out of the corner of his eye, all thoughts of backing out were no longer possible. Even his sweat glands had foreseen the result of this match as they began to profusely eliminate beads down his face.

"Hey…kid, heard you requested me? Boy, you must be some kind of moron!"

Ryan stayed silent, hoping that he hadn't just made a move that could potentially kill him. He watched while Bill stepped into the ring to a booming applause from the audience, sneaking occasional glances at Arturo, who just shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head in understanding.

Next, it was Ryan's turn to get into the ring. Whereas the sound had been full of excitement and admiration when Bill had been introduced, not much could be heard when Ryan jumped under the ropes.

"And…our fresh meat…Hailing all the way from Ducet St. in South Chino…Ryan Atwood!"

Trying not to let the flooding of boos get to him, Ryan began stretching his arms for the fight. Peeking over at Bill, he couldn't help but notice that Bill's arms were almost the size of his head. As they gathered in the center of the ring, Ryan suddenly felt the need to pray.

"Our father…who are't in heaven," he muttered, hoping that the divine would find a way to get him through this one.

"Are you prayin', kid?" Bill mocked, struggling to contain his amusement, "That's rich…HEY…EVERYONE…Looks like sonny-boy here's already praying to God for this to be over with!"

All of the observers laughed with Bill, although many of them remembered how terrified they had felt when Bill had initiated them.

"Okay…okay…enough talk, let's get this over with, so I can go home and eat. The wife's makin' Shepard's Pie…my favorite!" Bill continued. The referee looked for the nod from both parties before signaling to begin. For the first minute, Ryan and Bill just sized each other up, each eager for the other to make the first move so they could be on the defense. Ryan's adrenaline was pumping furiously, but he did not want to make the mistake of being too fervent and getting caught off guard.

Finally, getting perturbed by the lack of action, Bill moved in for the kill. He buried a right hook into Ryan's shoulder, causing the boy to stumble backwards a few steps. Seeing this as his opportunity, Bill pounced on Ryan like he had done to so many adolescent boys before. Hitting blow after blow to Ryan's face and body, Bill's confidence kicked him into overdrive. But, the difference was that Ryan was expecting this. Taking all the pent-up aggression he had accumulated throughout the past 16 years, he grabbed Bill by the wrist as he attempted to punch him in the stomach. Bill looked somewhat surprised to see this young kid attempt this type of block with such unbridled force. Ryan, sensing that this might be his only chance to get a shot in before Bill' superior size and experience took over, promptly thrust his right knee into Bill's groin.

As his eyes widened in shock, Bill plummeted heavily to the floor. The groans of sympathy and gasps of astonishment could be heard throughout the ever-increasing crowd. For what seemed like an eternity, no one moved or spoke a word, unsure of what to do next since this situation had never happened before. At least not to Bill the Initiator. As Ryan watched the arrogant, boisterous man huddled in the fetal position, he couldn't help but feel vindicated for all those times he had cowered away in fear from his father. This was the test he had needed to pass to prove to himself that he was ready. Ready to take on anyone who tried to hurt him or his family again. Ready to be the man that his mother so desperately needed. Ready to fight his way through life.

"Well…..Fellas….I guess we have a new winner moving onto tomorrow night's weekly finals…Give a BIG HAND for Ryan "The Young Warrior" Atwood!"

The guys in the crowd erupted into applause for the one who had finally taken down the seemingly unfaltering bully Bill.

Present Day

As Ryan walked through the familiar door, he wondered if Bill was still around, antagonizing younger guys with the same shtick. Looking around the muggy room, he recognized a lot of familiar faces. Still the same old haggard, frustrated men needing to release their overflowing anger. However, there was a memorable face that he had not expected to see there.

"Atwood….what are you doin' back here? Thought Newport life had taken ya' for good!" Arturo questioned, motioning for Ryan to join him. Quickly giving him a pat on the back, he led them back to the attic that had been their second home. Ryan couldn't help but flash back to all the memories that had occurred in this small attic. As he sat down on the ancient, dusty lawn chair, he tried to formulate an answer to Arturo's question. But, he couldn't, because he didn't know himself what he was doing here. Arturo, sensing his hesitation, decided to help him along.

"It's your girl, man? That fine one you brought over a few years back?"

Inside Ryan's head flashed that beautiful smile of the girl he knew Arturo was referring to. The only girl for him. The girl that was halfway across the planet doing God knows what with God knows whom. Realizing that he had yet to answer Arturo, he lifted his head and nodded.

"She's in Greece…or probably…I don't know. We didn't end on the best terms."

"I see. So, you thought you might haunt the place you knew you could vent it out?"

Some things never changed; one was how much Arturo knew Ryan. While Ryan sat silently, trying to muster up the courage to go back in that ring, Arturo signed him up for what he knew would be the most exciting fight of the night. About thirty minutes later, after two brothers had almost beaten each other into unconsciousness, Ryan heard the words he'd been expecting.

"Well…well…well…if it ain't an old face. This will definantly be a treat for all you old timers out there who remember the first newbie to take down the legendary "Initiator". Tonight, looks like we got Ryan "The Young Warrior" back for some down home ass-beating. RYAN…..Get YOUR ASS UP HERE AND FIGHT!"


	10. The Orientation

Hi people! This chapter came about very effortlessly, which is always good. Now, I am not one of those writers that feel the nostalgic need to bring back every character in the existence of the show into my story. But, in this case, I felt a little revisiting would be totally believable and further the plot in a positive way. Don't worry! It's not Oliver or Johnny. I would love to get some reviews…hopefully y'all are still reading even though the show is almost done I plan to keep going no matter what, so I hope I have at least a few with me.

Chapter X: The Orientation

Gazing around the beautiful Rhode Island campus that would soon be her home, Summer couldn't help but feel alone in a sea of new faces. Normally, she would view this as a challenge for her to see how many friends she could make, but no matter what she did, she just couldn't get herself psyched up to start mingling and enjoying her pre-college experience. She knew the reason that all of her old cheer-up tactics weren't working. This just didn't feel right without Seth. After all, it had been his dream in the first place.

"Excuse me…sorry …I think he's waiting on you."

Snapping quickly out of her thoughts, Summer realized that the whole group was staring at her, impatiently waiting for her to rejoin them. Knowing that there was little she could do to cover this up, she began to slightly blush.

"I'm sorry… I..uh..was just distracted by the beautiful…uh…"

"Scenery?" a strangely familiar female voice in the crowd offered.

"Yeah…" Summer added, hoping that the tour guide wouldn't give her too hard of a time over this. Tim, the guide whose immediate goal was to get this tour over with as soon as possible so that he could catch up on his post-hangover sleep, mumbled slightly under his breath and continued ushering the assemblage of students and parents along. Not wanting to be singled out again, Summer faked attentiveness for as long as she could. However, as his drone, uninterested voice went on with the informative exploration, Summer let the wave of nostalgia wash over her again. These trees, the school, the life. It wasn't Summer's lifelong dream to be here. And now, without the thought of Seth starting RISD in the spring, was she still sure this was where she wanted to be? She knew that she didn't want to be one of those women that couldn't survive without a man by her side. But, at the same time, this path that she was on, while seeming very prestigious and exciting, looked to be a lonely one.

"Summer?" the same female voice whispered, careful not to bring the awareness of the guide, who was now otherwise engaged in a discussion with one of the more inquisitive parents regarding the rigorous exam schedules.

Again brought out of her private musings, Summer was beginning to get irritated. Why couldn't people just let her sulk? Looking to see who had called her name, she found herself face to face with someone who she had known she would eventually have to encounter.

"Anna…hey," she said half-heartedly, not wanting to sound rude but still remembering what had occurred between her and Seth not that long ago.

Anna immediately noticed that Summer was not her usual perky, excited self. Having been involved in the "Get Seth into RISD" campaign, she knew that there must be something up with Seth to make Summer act this way. The Summer she had known, while not the most enthusiastic student in regards to academics, had always been very eager to socialize and make new friends. But, the girl in front of her looked reclusive and downtrodden, like she couldn't care less about her appearance. Yes, something was definantly not right with Summer Roberts.

"Listen, I know we can't really talk right now," Anna whispered, motioning to rest of the group, "but, can we meet up after this? I need to talk to you…" Noticing that the other participant in this conversation was still lackadaisically paying attention to her, Anna knew she was going to have to name-drop. "It's about Seth."

Just as she had suspected, the mention of his name broke Summer from her thoughts. Her brows furrowed as she remembered the last time the two of them had clashed over him, and she hoped that Anna wasn't gearing up for a repeat performance. Because, to be completely honest, Summer wasn't sure if she had the energy to fight for him anymore. Lately, it seemed like all she had done was try to find some way, any way to convince her stubborn boyfriend that he was making a mistake by letting her go to Rhode Island by herself. She used all the tools in her arsenal: bribery, guilt, tickling, flattery, threats, nagging, violence, and tears. Nothing worked this time. Something stronger than his love for her was driving Seth to stay in California. But what that was, she didn't know. And, she had tried every viable path to get to the reason, but nothing had worked. She had even forgone trying to weasel it out of Seth, and headed straight for the source.

Flashback

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in California. As Summer drove her new Black BMW convertible to the Cohen's house, she internally mapped out her game plan. Although she had been pleasantly surprised when her father had revealed his "My baby girl is all grown up and going to college halfway across the country" gift, she still couldn't help but feel a sense of dread at the thought of leaving behind everything she had ever known for a new life. The life that she hadn't planned on leaving until this life just found her.

As she parked in the driveway, she took a long look at the house that had become like a second home to her over the last few years. There were so many memories in this house…endless hours of weird Japanese anime, lazy summer lounging by the pool, countless parties with the Newpsie elite, the graphic novel, the Spiderman kiss, Marissa and Ryan. The thought that this might be her last chapter here in Newport really scared her. She exited her car, clicking her automatic lock although the top was still down. Although she knew that Seth was still grocery shopping with his father, Summer still couldn't help but glance up at his room as she let herself in the front door. As she headed towards the back kitchen door heading to the pool house, she thought she smelled the faint smell of marijuana lingering in the air. Brushing the thought off, she knocked loudly on the pool house door.

"GO AWAY SETH….I'M NOT IN THE MOOD FOR ANOTHER THREE HOUR MOPING SESSION ABOUT SUMMER!"

Summer smiled sadly as she realized that this break-up must be hurting Seth as much as it was hurting her. But, if it was so hard for him to live without her, why was he doing this? She had to know the truth, once and for all.

"Chino? Hey….it's me….Summer. Open up, will ya?" she asked, although it came out as more of a command than a query. She could faintly hear Ryan grumbling something under his breath as he shuffled towards the door. As it opened abruptly, Summer could immediately notice that she wasn't the only one who hadn't been sleeping well lately. Entering into his dimly lit, dusty room, Summer remembered a time not too long ago when this room had been filled with the love that Ryan had for Marissa. A love that, to her, seemed doomed from the start. But, then again, what authority did she really have on the love department? Here she was, sneaking into her ex boyfriend's house to ask his best friend what was really going on with him.

"So, Summer, what can I do for you?"

As she scanned the unkempt room for a place to sit, she suddenly noticed a towel on the floor covered in what looked to be blood. Her inquisitive nature took over as she picked the item up off the floor to get a closer look. Then, glancing at Ryan, she noticed the remnants of bruises and cuts that had long ago been a "Kid Chino" staple. Maybe this had something to do why Seth had been acting more bizarre than usual these past few days. Ryan gingerly sat down on his bed, hoping that she had not seen his slight grimace from the pain that engulfed his entire abdomen.

"Well, as you obviously know, Seth has decided to dump me a week before I head to Rhode Island," she said, seeking to cover up the damage she was feeling with bitterness, "and, instead he has decided that he wants to follow you to Berkeley. So, either there is something more going on between you two, which if there is, frankly, I don't care to know about."

Ryan cracked a small smile at this thought. He knew Summer didn't believe that there could ever possibly be anything of THAT nature going on with he and Seth. She was just trying to get in any dig that she possibly could to cover up her true feelings. He let it slide off, and hoped she would spill out her real intentions for visiting him soon. His ribs were starting to hurt again, and the only relief he had found for this was taking extended, blistering showers.

"Or, there is something that neither of you are telling me. Now, judging by this blood-stained towel here," she accented, holding the towel in full view, " and the array of decorations all over your usually-handsome face…something tells me I don't have to worry about you two going all Luke's dad on me."

Ryan shot her a confirmation look, and Summer tried to scan his eyes for some sort of clue to what may be going on. She was going to have to lay all her cards on the line, and see if hopefully Ryan could clear some of this up.

"The truth is," she started, choking up a little at the words, "I really miss him. And, I don't know what's going on, but I really don't want to leave for Rhode Island with things like this. Now, obviously, from your earlier statement, Seth is not doing too well with this whole situation either. And, when I told Marissa what was going on, about how you had decided to defer Berkeley for a year, before Seth changed your mind by deciding to enroll with you…"

At the mention of her name, Ryan's interest peaked. He wondered what had been said between the two girls, and if, just maybe, Marissa was worried about him. Knowing that any reaction he had could be mentioned during a future conversation between the two girls, he tried to play it cool. But, on the inside, he wasn't really too far-off from feeling Summer's desperation for hints into what his true love was doing.

"She insisted that there must be something more going on…that you would never just decide to delay an opportunity that you had worked so hard for….not even because of the way things ended with the two of you."

Ryan was continually amazed with how well she knew him. Even from halfway across the planet, she could see right through him.

"How…" he cleared his throat," how, is she?"

She had known this would come up eventually. This may be the only leverage that could get him to spill Seth's secret. Standing up and slowly moving towards the bed, where he had had shifted positions and pulled the mangled covers over his legs, she sat on the edge. Still holding the blood-adorned towel tightly in her hand, she picked nervously at the outer edge of it. She really hoped that her next move would convince him to tell her what was really going on.

"I want to tell you…but, unless you let me in on the real reason Seth isn't going to RISD…the real reason that you look like you got jumped in some dark alley…I'm afraid my lips are sealed. You know, I didn't want to resort to this. But, you both have given me no choice. And, if I leave for Brown without him at least giving me the courtesy of the truth, that'll be the end of any chance for us. The real question is…could you live with the guilt of knowing that you were the reason your brother lost his soul mate?"

Standing up from the bed, she tossed him the towel. Hanging her head, she slowly mulled toward the pool house door. Normally, she would internally count the steps she would take before the other party would give into her demands, but this time, she knew the chances of her getting what she wanted were slim to none. Ryan must be in some serious trouble for him to agree to let Seth transfer to Berkeley.

"I will say this," she turned around, her hands still clutching tight to the door, "You should call her. She still loves you, and I'm pretty sure my phone call worried her. Just apologize. That way at least two of us will be fantastic again."

Present Day

Summer looked back into Anna's eyes, struggling not to break down. Anna could see that the vivacious, confident Summer of the past was still in there, but that she was fighting and slowly losing a battle with the new jilted, suspicious Summer. She nodded silently in understanding, and re-focused her attention on the tour.

After another twenty minutes of walking around the seemingly endless campus and stopping for explanations and questions, the tour came to it's conclusion, the guide eagerly releasing the participants before jetting off as quickly as he could back to his dorm. As the crowd quickly dissipated, some students seeking more information heading to the admissions office while others united in their much-needed quest for a cup of coffee, Summer and Anna were left standing alone in the scenic Brown courtyard. Motioning for her to follow, Anna led them to a nearby park bench, where they both sat down.

"So…how are you?" Anna posited, hoping Summer would open up to her about how she's feeling. When she got no reply back, she decided to openly address the looming elephant in the room. "Look, I know that the last time that we saw each other wasn't exactly on the best of terms. But, I was hoping that since we're both here at Brown…and, far away from anyone we know, that we could bury the hatchet and be friends."

Anna tried to gauge Summer's reaction to this proposition. She didn't seem to be running away or gaping in horror at the thought, but she was still silent.

"And, as a friend…I have to say that you don't look good. I thought whenever I left Newport that you and Seth were on your way back to each other. What happened? Correction: What did he do and do I need to kick his ass?"

This was the first thing Anna had said that got some kind of emotion out of her. She couldn't contain her smile as she imagined Anna pinning Seth down and beating the truth out of him. Maybe desperate times did call for desperate measures. Taking a deep breath, Summer realized she didn't have to be this self-assured, secure person in front of Anna. This realization released the floodgates, and before she knew it, Summer was openly crying.

"I…I don't know. Everything was…fine," she cracked, breathing heavily in between words, "and then, out of nowhere, he just decides…that…he's not going to RISD. He's gonna transfer to Berkeley. I just, I can't understand what's going on…"

Anna scrunched her face, utterly bewildered as to what would push Seth to abandon the school he had fought so hard to get into. As she pondered over this, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for the girl that she had once despised.

"Wait a minute…isn't Ryan going to Berkeley?" she asked.

Summer nodded her head, unsure if it was a wise decision to fill Anna in on all the details. But, at this time, the last person she was worried about hurting was Ryan. After all, he had to be the reason Seth was staying in California, didn't he? The thought that he might not be the reason made Summer's devastation slowly develop into rage. What if there was no reason for him to quit RISD and stay in California? What if she just wasn't the girl for him anymore? Surely there couldn't be anyone…

"That BASTARD!" Summer muttered to herself. Standing up, she hurriedly wiped the tears from her eyes and grabbed her purse. "Sorry Anna…I have to go. We'll talk later."

Before Anna could even manage to question what had so drastically changed Summer's mood, she was alone. Shaking her head in somewhat disbelief, Anna just grinned to herself and sat back down on the bench.

"The drama never ends."


	11. The SoCalled Worldwide Network

Hey everyone! Well, sadly, it looks like the show has come to an end. The post-earthquake episode was 45 minutes of total awesomeness. I thought for sure Ryan was going to die…or at least have a near-death Marissa hallucination. That would have completed the Romeo-Juliet arch that Josh himself set into motion. But, I couldn't believe that they cut all the potentially pivotal scenes—Ryan's dad finding him bleeding, Taylor getting the phone call, Ryan being told by Marissa's ghost to stay alive, Kirsten/Sandy and Summer/Taylor watching as he is wheeled into the hospital—were skipped to go straight to some post-trauma Seth-Ryan banter. Everyone walking out of the hospital just seemed too "Full House" for me. I wish that they would have kept his condition as a cliffhanger for the finale. But, I was excited to see the birth of baby Cohen. Alright, enough about that, here's the next chapter. Seems like Ryan decided to take Summer's advice. Oh, and I decided to give Jimmy a storyline that involves another character re-appearance. All cannot be perfect in the Greek paradise!

Chapter XI: The So-Called Worldwide Network

Jimmy had never been a man that vividly dreamed about things. No, usually he would qualify himself in the category of those who are dead to the world for 5-6 hours a day. However, lately he had been having these visions…so serene and haunting…of a woman whose face he recognized but couldn't firmly place. The truth is that as happy as Jimmy currently was with his career path, he was also feeling pretty lonely. It had gotten better since Marissa had gotten here, but there were still nights where he desperately wished that he had a warm body to nestle up to. Nonetheless, the life of a boat captain, though attractive in terms of financial compensation, didn't provide him much of an opportunity to meet women. And, the owner specified rigid "No fraternizing with female employees" rules when they were first setting up. Not that there was anyone who particularly caught his eye.

That pretty much left him to his memories of the women in his past that he often wondered about. Kirsten: his high school sweetheart. Although Jimmy held no pretenses that there would ever be a chance for the two of them to re-kindle anything that they had, he still held a special place for her that no woman would ever occupy. Her kindness and understanding; they were definantly qualities on his checklist for the next woman in his life. And Julie: his only wife. While there was no denying the chemistry the two of them had when they were together, Jimmy knew that there was no way she would ever forgive him for his latest disappearing act.

There was one more woman on this list that Jimmy thought about a lot. She actually had the perfect combination of Kirsten's thoughtful nature and Julie's go-getter survival skills. When they had been together, everything had seemed so perfect. Even when the restaurant had fallen through and he was again left with nothing, she didn't care. So many times he had imagined dropping everything and heading to Tokyo to find her, but he would rationalize his way out of it, assuring himself that she must be some high-powered executive by now.

Reaching across the bed to grab his cell phone that was on the nightstand, Jimmy searched for the phone number that he had so many times stared at, but never had the nerve to call. Gliding his thumb across the send button, he decided that if he was ever going to get a good night's sleep again, that he had to give it a shot. As it began to ring, the pores on his face could no longer belie his anxiety at the thought of what she might say.

"Hailey Nichol…please no more bad news. I can't take it right now."

There she was. Not having thought about what he would actually say if she happened to pick up, Jimmy began to panic. His heaving breaths were not doing much to comfort the tension that was mounting with every moment of silence. He wanted to reach out and express to her how many times he had thought about this very moment. But, his nerves got the best of him, and instead he just continued to fumble for words, savoring every moment that she was his again.

"I…uh, I'm sorry, I think..I uh..well,"

"Hello? Who is this" she again questioned, the irritation evident in her usually sweet voice. 'She must be having a bad day,' he thought. Before he could reply, Jimmy was interuppted by a knock at the door.

"Dad?"

Quickly, Jimmy hung up the phone as he hastily began to search for his work pants. Absent-mindedly, he threw the phone on the second shelf of the dresser, taking a mental note not to forget it before leaving. He was late for the morning crew meeting, and he was sure that his workers were probably complaining. They tended to do that when he wasn't on top of his game. And today, his lack of sleep causing him to be in a semi-lucid, transient state, he was hoping they would take a little easy on him.

"Come on in, sweetie. Just collecting the daily necessities," he answered once he had gotten himself presentable enough. As Marissa entered the door, Jimmy began to search for his suntan lotion and digital organizer. Since arriving on the boat, he had slowly developed a routine that gave him the repetition and consistency that he had previously been lacking in his business endeavors. Get up, get dressed, gather everything needed for the day. It was amazing how such a simple routine really aided Jimmy in feeling like he had regained some sense of control over his life. But, as content as he had been feeling for the last six months or so, he couldn't help but worry about Hailey. She sounded like she could really use a familiar face around to assist her in managing all the chaos in her life. Was he crazy to even think about this?

Marissa started to straighten her father's bed sheets as she would often do when he was running late. Lately, she had grown accustomed to all of her dad's disorganized habits that used to aggravate her. In fact, she somewhat enjoyed being the only woman in her dad's life, even if it was a little selfish to want it to stay that way forever. Even though she and her dad had been through some really tough times in the past, she still felt like he was the only man in her life who never really let her down. Despite all the moments when she had really needed him and he wasn't there, Marissa still felt like her father's main intention in life had always been to bring their family happiness. And, it was hard to watch him fail. But, looking around the plush captain's quarters, she realized that all of the hard times were finally paying off for the Coopers.

"Thanks hon," he said, swiftly kissing the top of her head as he continued to look for his ID badge. "I really sometimes don't know what I would do without you."

"Well, that's easy," she quipped, "you'd always be late and have way less people listen to you." She smiled teasingly to let him know that she was only giving him a hard time. Someone had to, right? "So, who were you on the phone with when I knocked?"

Jimmy smiled at his daughter's characteristic inquisitiveness, knowing full well that she would not give the topic up until he obliged her with an answer.

"Oh, kiddo, I was trying to reach your mother, but I think I may have gotten her new housekeeper or something, cause the lady who picked up the phone didn't speak English."

Marissa chuckled as she imagined Neil receiving all the bills for her mother's "necessities". Living on this boat, far away from most of the luxuries that she had been accustomed to, Marissa had begun to understand the real difference betweens "needs" and "wants". She realized that there were so many people in the world that survived just fine without their weekly spa treatments and Botox injections.

"A-HA!" Jimmy exclaimed, finally locating the one item that was holding him back from starting his day. He hastily thrust the badge into his pocket as he hurried out of the room. "DON'T FORGET TO LOCK THE DOOR!" he shouted, from the hallway.

Marissa straggled behind, suddenly having the urge to snoop around her father's quarters. As she was glancing around for anything unusual, her father's cell phone began to ring. Shaking her head in amusement that her father's disorganization had yet again reared its' ugly head, she followed the noise to find it on his dresser shelf. Her mouth dropped in surprise as she saw the name on the caller ID. Hailey. Marissa didn't know that her dad still kept in contact with her.

"Hello?" she responded.

"Hi..I was wondering if someone tried to call me from this number. I 69ed, and this is the number I got back. This is Hailey Nichol."

Marissa hesitated for a moment, debating on whether she should divulge who she was. Obviously, her father had felt the need to lie to her about her mother's new housekeeper. But why? Did he really think that she would disapprove of him reaching out to Hailey again?

"Um…hi Hailey. This is Marissa…Cooper. Jimmy's daughter. I think I may have dialed your number on accident when I was using his phone."

That sounded like a legitimate enough excuse to pacify any further questions. She wasn't sure what had initiated her urge to lie to Hailey, but she felt like the last thing her dad needed right now was the drama that came with dating. He had been doing so good lately, finally beginning to get his life together. She didn't want him doing something impulsive and crazy to ruin it. 'Besides,' she rationalized to herself, 'she lives in Tokyo. What's he gonna do? Move there?'

The thought soon became paralyzing to Marissa. What if her dad really was thinking about abandonning her again for another whirlwind romance with Hailey? Although she had been a more apprehensive about letting her dad back in her good graces this time, he had eventually regained most of the trust he had lost the last time he left her.

"Oh..I see. Well, that's okay. It happens. How is your dad?"

Hailey had often wondered about Jimmy. He had looked so sad and discouraged when she had told him she was leaving Newport; it made it really difficult for her to even think about leaving him. She combed her hand through her windblown hair as she hoped to hear that he was having as hard of a time living without her as she was without him. Even though she wished Jimmy all the success that she knew he deserved, it still would feel good to know that he thought about her every once in a while.

"Well, we're doing okay. He's the captain of a cruise ship here in Greece. I came with him after high school ended, and we've been sailing around Europe for the summer."

'Wow,' Hailey thought, 'A cruise boat captain.' It definantly suited Jimmy's nomadic lifestyle. When she had left him to move to Japan, she had pictured her life being so much more glamorous. How ironic that he was the one living the high life now while she was so stressed out that she couldn't see straight. Life in the world of fashion merchandising had proved to be quite the challenge for Hailey's inner free spirit. Working the often grueling hours and handling seemingly endless customer issues, Hailey had often speculated what her life would be like if she were to disappear again. If she were to ever entertain that idea, she had always secretly hoped that Jimmy would be up for another adventure with her.

But, according to the last update she had gotten from Kirsten, he had supposedly moved back to Newport and reconciled with Julie after Caleb's death. The thought of him back with her arch-nemesis made Hailey's blood boil. However, obviously something had happened since that time to compel him to leave California for Greece with Marissa in tow. She wasn't going to push for more information, but she made a mental note to ask her sister for more details the next time she talked to her.

"Wow…that sounds like the perfect job for your father. I'm happy for him. Well, I guess I should get going. I'm sure you have work to get to. Tell your father I said hello, and I'll talk to you later."

As Marissa hung up the phone, she had to fight the urge to confront her dad with this new information. Lies had been what had pushed her father to desert their family before, and he had sworn it would never happen again. But, then again, this was not a lie about their financial situation, but instead about his personal life, so could she really count this as an offense? Either way, she wanted to know why her father had felt the need to again resort to hiding the truth from her. Maybe he didn't want her to know that he was feeling lonely and reminiscing about past loves. If this was the case, what he didn't realize is just exactly how sympathetic Marissa would feel for his woes, for they weren't too far from her own.

Meanwhile on the other side of the boat, Paolo had snuck out of the morning kitchen staff prepatory meeting to find Marissa. He had decided that today was the day he was going to tell her how he really felt about her. Although he still wasn't sure how she was going to take it, he couldn't hold back his true feelings any longer. Opening the window he knew she always left unlocked, he briskly climbed into the suite, hoping to surprise her. Looking around for the girl who he had fallen in love with, Paolo grunted in frustration when he realized that she was not there. 'Damn,' he thought to himself, 'she must be at the morning meeting.'

Startled out of his thoughts by a loud song that he wasn't familiar with, Paolo quickly realized that it was originating from Marissa's cell phone, which she had left on her desk.

"_Forever young…I want to be forever young,"_

He wrestled with the decision of whether or not to answer it, but soon decided that it might be important. Picking the phone up off the desk, he tentatively answered it.

"Hello?"

"Um…hello? Hi, I was..uh, I must have called the wrong number. I was trying to reach a…Marissa Cooper."

On the other line, Ryan held out hope that he had mistakenly dialed the wrong number. He had been psyching himself up to make this call for the last 3 days, and while imagining all the possible scenarios that could happen, Ryan had been quick to dismiss the possibility that there would be an unknown man with a foreign accent answering her phone. His mind suddenly began to run amuck with possibilities. Could this be her new boyfriend, like Caitlyn had suggested? Had he waited too long to apologize, and she had given up on him? He needed to know who this guy was.

"Um…yes, this is Marissa's phone. She is not here at the moment. May I take a message?"

A message…a message. What could he possibly tell this guy that he could trust would be forwarded to Marissa? As he tried to decide his next course of action, he pushed for more information to try and decipher who he was talking to.

"Yes..that's fine. This is Ryan. May I ask whom I am speaking to?" he posited, trying not to sound too meddlesome.

Paolo exhaled deeply as he remembered all of the things Marissa had told him about Ryan. How he had cheated on her, how she still loved him, how he hadn't called in over 2 months. Who did he think he was that he could just call after all this time and assume that she was ready and willing to take him back? Paolo made a spur of the moment decision to prevent Ryan from coming back into Marissa's life and hurting her again.

"Of course…this is Paolo, her fiance. I have heard much about you."

Ryan's mouth dropped open in shock. Did he just say fiance? He knew that Marissa had been known for making impulsive decisions out of hurt…but, she couldn't have accepted some greasy European sailor's marriage proposal, could she? With his worst fears confirmed, Ryan allowed his mind to indulge in the endless possibilities that came with this verification. 'No,' he thought, 'I promised her that I would never assume the worst about her again. Not without the facts coming straight from her mouth.' But, then he remembered that this aforementioned promise was still sitting in the pool house dresser drawer. 'Damnit, if only I had sent that letter, maybe she wouldn't have gotten herself into this situation.'

"And, from your silence, I'm assuming that you have heard nothing of me," Paolo continued.

"No..I'm sorry. I just, I didn't know that she had…it's just…I…,"

Ryan took a deep breath. He could sense that Paolo was getting some pleasure out of making him squirm. He had to hold it together and hope that his message would find its' way to Marissa.

"I'm sorry. If you would, please just let her know that I called…and, I wish you both…congratulations."

It was almost impossible to get those last words out. He was anything but happy about this engagement, and now more than ever, he felt the urgent need to rescue Marissa from making the ultimate mistake.

As Paolo smugly bid him farewell, Ryan hung up the phone softly. The pain that had somewhat subsided since that day in the airport was back. And, the worst part about this whole thing was that it was his fault. He should have never broken up with her in the first place. It just couldn't end this way. He had to stop talking and start showing her how much she meant to him. Then, suddenly, Ryan realized what he had to do.

"Yes…hello, United Airlines," he blurted abruptly after being on hold for almost 10 minutes, "I need to book a flight ASAP to Greece."


	12. Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon

Greetings all! Now, I know that you are expecting Ryan's sudden decision to visit Greece to end in a peaches/cream happy reunion. But where would the drama be in that? Alas, I can promise nothing. But, I do love RM, so this isn't the end. Poor Paolo! I don't want y'all to hate him. Just see him for what he is: confused, impulsive, hopelessly in love. He's really not a bad guy. But, you know who is. That's right…Volchek. For this next chapter, I'm going back to Mini Cooper and her continued woes with her mom/Neil and Eric/Brad. Look for the following in upcoming chapters: Hailey's phone call to Kirsten, Ryan's interception at the airport, Seth's unexpected ass-chewing by an unlikely source, Summer and Anna grow closer, and, finally, a storyline for Sandy/Kirsten.

Chapter XII: Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon

For the last few months, Julie had been yearning for the days when the worst thing she had to worry about was Caitlyn's horse China having Alopecia. She remembered right around that time was when everything that she had known came crumbling down around her. All she had ever wanted was to keep her family afloat, and, although there were definantly mistakes that she had made along the way, she didn't regret any decisions she had made. Well, except one. Sending her youngest daughter to boarding school was turning out to be a huge error.

Since she had returned from the academy, Caitlyn had carried a chip on her shoulder that even Marissa at her most jilted couldn't rival. Sneaking out of the house at all hours, smoking pot, getting arrested, skipping school. It was like she had found Julie's high school playbook and was pulling out all of her old tricks. Julie wondered if having to raise these two unruly girls pretty much alone had been atonement for what she herself had put her mother through in her younger years. For their sake, Julie hoped that they would eventually learn from her mistakes. Marissa seemed to be on that path already, and she couldn't be more proud of her. But, Caitlyn; Julie wasn't so confident that Caitlyn would be as receptive to any wisdom that she tried to impart. No, she was her mother's daughter, and Julie knew deep down that the worst was yet to come.

The last thing Julie needed was another daughter trying to sabotage her new engagement. Marissa had done a pretty good job of that with Caleb, but the difference was that Julie hadn't cared for Caleb the way she did for Neil. She knew that Neil would never openly criticize her parenting the way Caleb had done. However, she could sense that every time her daughter rebelled and she did nothing, Neil was watching, taking note for future reference. She knew that if she was to salvage her relationship with her younger daughter, she was going to have to lay down the law. And soon.

As she finished zipping up her knee-high brown leather boots, Julie looked around the room that she now called "home". Realizing that she had survived every one of the extreme circumstances that had been hurled at her recently, Julie refused to hang her head over the current struggles she was having with Caitlyn. She kept reminding herself that things could and have been a lot worse. At least she wasn't living next to that Gus guy in the trailer. If she could handle that, she could manage anything. And, today, she decided, she had had enough of her daughter calling the shots.

"Dr. Roberts' office…how may I help you?"

Julie recognized the voice of Neil's secretary right away. She was sure that they were on a first name basis by now.

"Hi Janice, this is Julie. I need to speak to Neil."

Janice shook her head silently, annoyed by the fact that Dr. Roberts always seemed to pick women who didn't fully grasp the concept of surgery. They would always call, insisting to speak to him while he was in the midsts of a complicated procedure, and it drove Janice nuts. He needed someone who understood what he dealt with every day, someone who was respectful and sympathetic to his line of work, someone who had their own goals and ambitions. Somone like her. But, Janice knew that Dr. Roberts never went for those kinds of women. Instead, he went the for fake, plastic Newpsie women like Julie Cooper.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Cooper," she replied, trying desperately to hide the venom in her voice, "he is in surgery right now, and cannot be disturbed. She smiled secretively as Julie remained contemplatively quiet on the other end.

"Okay…that's fine. No message."

With that, Julie frustratedly hung up on Janice. She had been around the block enough to know that Janice didn't want to help her. However, she couldn't remember ever doing anything to Janice to make her act that way. It wasn't the first time a woman had been rude to her without prevocation. Julie just shrugged it off and decided that she would have to have this conversation with him when he arrived home.

Realizing that she was going to be late for her lunch meeting with Kirsten for NewMatch, Julie hurriedly grabbed her keys and went to let Caitlyn know that she was leaving for a few hours. Although it had seemed like she was rarely home these days, Julie still wanted to make sure her daughter knew where she was if she needed her. She had learned her lesson about offering too little space with Marissa, so she had made more of an effort this time around.

Letting herself into Caitlyn's room, she was immediately flushed with concern when she noticed her younger daughter curled up in a ball asleep on her bed. Inching closer, Julie could smell the cigarette and marijuana smoke still eminating from Caitlyn's clothes, which she hadn't bothered to change out of. Her eyes quickly began to scan the room, looking for any evidence that would confirm her worst fears. Her snooping skills had been highly refined from Marissa's teenage years, but Julie couldn't help but feel guilty as she rummaged through her daughter's stuff while she laid passed out right nearby.

'Bingo,' Julie sadly validated to herself. There it had been…behind her childhood Strawberry Shortcake stuffed animal…not even that well hidden. She picked up her daughter's stash…promptly noticing that there were some familiar and some unfamiliar pills in the bottom of the bag. Her mind began racing, wondering how Caitlyn had uncovered her secret. Was this all just a reaction to her negative influence? How could she really punish her daughter for something that she herself was guilty of?

Julie could feel her face begin to flush with emotion. She desperately wanted to sheild her baby from all of life's cruel injustices, but it looked like she might already be too late. Stuffing the bag into her pocket, Julie crouched down next to her daughter's bed, slightly brushing her hair gently. The tear that she had been fighting to keep in finally could no longer hold itself from falling down her face.

Caitlyn flinched slightly at the sudden feeling of wetness upon her cheek. Temporarily forgetting where she was, her mouth began to form her famous half-smile.

"Come on, Kev…cut it out…you know you wore me out last night," she said, still keeping her eyes tightly shut. She wondered what he would reply, knowing that Kevin relished in the unexpected. When she didn't hear anything, Caitlyn hesitantly opened one eye in curiosity.

Julie could not for the life of her get her gaping mouth to close. So, apparently her daughter hadn't been telling her the truth about whom she had been keeping company with either. She could've sworn that she heard her daughter say Kev…she swiftly recounted that Marissa had uttered that name many times when she was in the midst of her seditious era. It couldn't be…no…not Kevin Volchek. Julie's dissillusion turned rapidly to unruly temperment. If Kevin Volchek was again invading her daughters' lives, then it had gotten way worse than she thought.

"Caitlyn, we need to talk."

Julie tried to control her inner emotions in hopes that her daughter would actually talk to her. She sat down on the bed as her daughter lazily stretched and threw the covers off of her. Examining every detail of her face, Julie could tell that her daughter was following in Marissa's alcohol-indulgent path just by the color of her skin. The dark, heavy circles under her eyes contradicted her youthful age. It literally killed Julie to see her daughter like this. It raised up so much guilt within her, causing her to wonder if she had waited too long to confront her about this.

Caitlyn rolled her eyes in frustration, realizing that she had finally been busted. She really didn't have the energy to deal with her mother's accusations and insults, so she tried to come up with a quick fix that would get her to temporarily back off…at least, until she could get out of the house.

"Look mother……I don't know what you want me to say. And, as much as I adore these moments, I really don't have time. I have to get to the school…orientation is today."

Julie stood by helpless as her daughter began to hurriedly gather her things. Pondering if she should stand up to this behavior or simply let it go, Julie remembered that she had decided that today she was taking back the position of parent, and she couldn't let this continue for any longer. Julie Cooper was going to have to channel her old self if she was going to get anything accomplished.

"Caitlyn Cooper….sit down RIGHT NOW!" she exclaimed, emphasizing her point as she slammed her daughter's door shut. Caitlyn, not expecting her mother to have this sort of outburst, stood motionless, ceasing to pack her school items for fear of her mother's sudden change in mood. She wasn't going to be able to push this topic off any longer.

"SIT…," Julie re-iterated, motioning to her bed. Caitlyn obliged, timidly inhabiting the corner of bed while her mother internally navigated her next move. "Look, I know that I haven't really been there for you recently…and, that's my fault. I guess I've been wanting this relationship with Neil to go smoothly."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes at her mother's statement. It was so like Julie to focus on her romantic life and put everything else in the background. She could tell that she wasn't going to enjoy this mother-daughter time.

"But, I found these in your room today," she continued, holding up the baggie with the drugs, "and, if I'm correct in assuming that by 'Kev', you mean Kevin Volchek, then this problem is a lot bigger than I originally had thought."

Caitlyn knew her mother had put the pieces together, and she could no longer hide the truth. But, who was she to judge her? Half of those pills she had stolen from her mother's stash anyway. Wasn't this the pot calling the kettle black? Caitlyn quickly went from anxious to irate.

"So what, now that Marissa's not here, NOW I'M YOUR NEW PROJECT? Well, I have news for you mom….it's too little…TOO LATE!"

"Young lady, DON'T RAISE YOUR VOICE TO ME! I AM TRYING TO HELP YOU," Julie exclaimed, taking a deep breath to calm down before she continued, "Before it's too late. You need to know that hanging out with Kevin Volchek can only bring bad things to you."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes as she stood from the bed to cross the room.

"Says who? Marissa? I don't know. I overheard her telling Summer how hot he was and how good he was in bed….so I think you're wrong!"

"Caitlyn….THAT'S IT! I'm sorry, but you've forced me to do this for your own good. You are grounded until further notice…no cell phones," she emphasized as she hastily reached for her daughter's Blackberry, "Once school starts, you're to come straight home unless you have social club."

Caitlyn gasped in shock, not believing that her mom had finally grown the guts to punish. She furiously shook her head in discord, not interested in obeying her once-cool mom's new rules. She had to get that phone back before her mom saw all the dirty… 'Crap,' she thought. Plunging towards her mother, Caitlyn caught her offguard and snatched the Blackberry back.

"NO WAY! YOU CAN'T JUST COME IN HERE AFTER MONTHS OF BEING PRACTICALLY COMOTOSE AND EXPECT THAT I'M GOING TO JUST GIVE IN TO WHATEVER YOU SAY! I'M LEAVING…DON'T LOOK FOR ME!"

Julie's breath hitched in her throat as the moment that she had been dreading was finally coming to fruition. Her daughter was following in her sister's footsteps more than she knew. But, she had fought Marissa so hard to stay with her, and she remembered how well that had turned out. Should she go the same route with Caitlyn, only to be pushed away by her much stronger and more self-destructive daughter? Or should she let her go, let her learn the hard way, as she knew she would eventually?

"You know what? FINE! I'm not going to fight you like I did Marissa. You want to be out there on your own, GO FOR IT! We'll see how long that lasts?"

Julie hated the whole idea of tough love, but she hoped that going this route would nip this in the bud before it got any worse. She knew eventually Volchek would get tired of having to babysit, and she would have no where else to go. She just hoped that along the way, nothing too dangerous or illegal happened that would potentially threaten Caitlyn's future. But, she couldn't think that way now. She had to portray a strong, resolute figure. Crossing her arms, Julie raised her eyebrow in curiosity.

Caitlyn had not expected this exchange to go this way. She had thought for sure that her mother would fight for her to stay, maybe even going as far as reporting her as a runaway or threatening to have her commited, like she had with Marissa. Maybe that was it. Maybe she only fought so hard for the daughter that she loved more. It was already a sore subject for Caitlyn to think about, but that wound still had never fully healed from when they sent her off to boarding school. Did they imagine that she would come back a well-adjusted girl without a chip on her shoulder? Well, they were wrong.

Tears welled in her eyes as she stood in a stand-off with her mother. Finally, not knowing what to do next, Caitlyn tearfully began packing a bag with clothes. Her mind was in overdrive since the ultimatum her mother had hurled at her.

"Caitlyn, I'm only doing this because I love you. One day, you'll see that."

Turning away from her bed, Caitlyn spat out hatefully.

"Yeah, right….you're just doing what you know how to do the best with me…shipping me off to be someone else's problem when things get to tough. You're only willing to fight for the daughter you LOVE!"

With that, Caitlyn grabbed the final few things and angrily pushed past her mother and out the door. As Julie heard the slamming of the front door, she collapsed to her knees in tears, wishing that Jimmy was here to help her with this one.

As Caitlyn searched the front yard for her bike, she noticed Eric and Brad were lurking around the pool, obviously searching for her. She hurriedly composed herself, wiping her face with her sleeve, as they noticed her and approached.

"Hey…where are you going? Let me guess…staying another night with that Marissa's gross ex-boyfriend? You know, once she finds out that you're hooking up with her sloppy seconds, she's never going to talk to you again," Eric spat out, no longer capable of hiding his jealousy. He couldn't believe that Caitlyn would go for a guy like that. Couldn't she see that she was meant for him?

Caitlyn wasn't listening; she couldn't handle any more negativity. Locating her bike, she took off from the twins without even uttering one word.

After twenty minutes of pedaling as hard as she could, Caitlyn ran out of strength to go any further. Luckily, she had reached her location. Nervously looking up at the high-rise apartments, she pressed the buzzer. She had to wait for a moment before she heard someone answer.

"What ya want?" Volchek frustrating said, hoping that it wasn't the guy who he owed money to.

Caitlyn pushed the button to answer.

"Hey, it's me Caitlyn. Can I come in?"

"Hey babe…sure, come on up. I got a bed up here with your name on it."

Caitlyn smiled slyly as her previous sadness began to fade. She took one look out at the street before heading into the building, into a totally new phase of her li


	13. EmptyNest Syndrome

Hey everyone! Now, I know that I've been horrible with posting, but I have had a hard time with working 2 jobs and all! But, I am determined to keep going, and I have tons of ideas. So, please stick with me and review! Here's a nugget from Kirsten/Sandy's life. Trust me when I tell you that it will have some Seth/Ryan/Julie/Hailey popping up. A preview for upcoming chapters: Ryan's European adventure, Anna's sage wisdom falls on deaf ears, Julie lashes out at Neil over her daughter's ugly departure

Chapter XIII: Empty-Nest Syndrome

Kirsten had been mentally preparing herself for this moment. Although, granted, she didn't expect that she would be experiencing empty-next syndrone with her two boys still living in the house. Searching the cupboard for her favorite coffee cup, she remembered the days when Ryan had first come to live with them. Everything was so up in the air and exciting. He and Seth were finally realizing their full potential; meeting their dream girls, pursuing their respective hobbies, preparing for college. As she located her old "I love my mom" cup Seth had bought her in second grade, she sighed heavily, wondering where those days had gone.

Just as she was about to sit down and analyze why her boys had seemed so distant lately, the phone began to ring.

"Who would be calling at this hour?" she muttered to herself as she checked her watch. 6:45 A.M. 'Man,' she thought, 'I really need to learn the art of sleeping in on the weekends.' "Hello?"

"Kirsten….hey, it's me Hailey. Sorry, did I wake you up?"

Kirsten was initially staggered that Hailey was actually calling her. It had been almost two months since she had last emailed, and Kirsten knew that she was really busy with her new job. Something must be up for her to be calling.

"No, don't worry about it. You know me…always the early bird."

Hailey laughed slightly to herself, remembering that Kirsten had always been the one that followed her father's "early bird gets the worm" mantra. She had been more of the one that slept the whole day away only to come alive after dark.

"Yeah…I do remember that. You and dad would switch off reading the Arts & Leisure section while mom and I would sleep the days away…," she recalled, "I guess some things never change."

Kirsten laughed, reflecting on the childhood that seemed so far away. She was curious why her sister was calling at this hour, but she didn't want to interrogate her. Luckily, Hailey was pretty good about sensing these kinds of things, so she just came out and stated her purpose.

"So…I got a call from Marissa Cooper the other day," she admitted, hoping to gauge her sister's reaction from a world away. Kirsten just stayed eerily quiet, trying to pinpoint which path she was going to take with this new information. The moment she heard "Cooper" come out of Hailey's mouth, she instinctively knew that this conversation was heading in the direction of Jimmy.

"Oh…really? Is she still in Greece?"

So, Kirsten did know about Jimmy and Julie's split, about his decision to once again abandon Newport for other adventures. She wanted to know more…was he with anyone on these escapades? Did he and Julie ever get re-married? Had he mentioned her since she left him? The last question in particular hung in Hailey's mind. She had been the one that had left him. Did she really have any right to go poking around in his possibly happy life after all this time apart? Or, could it be maybe, just maybe, his voyages were just as hollow as her's without someone special to share them with?

"Um…yeah, I think so. So, anyway, I guess when I heard from her…I just started to wonder…about you know…"

Kirsten smiled knowingly, speculating on how long Hailey would stall until she unleashed the real reason that she had called her: to find out about Jimmy. It had been a little disconcerting at first to imagine that Hailey and Jimmy could have fallen in love. After all, she had been his high school sweetheart. But, after seeing them together, Kirsten knew that Jimmy hadn't just been using her sister as a substitute for her, but that he really had loved Hailey.

"Hailey…are you asking me about Jimmy?"

Hailey hesitated, resuming the nervous habit of twirling her hair around her finger that she had when she had been a younger girl. She still felt somewhat uncomfortable discussing Jimmy around Kirsten, even though Kirsten had finally voiced her consent to their relationship right before she left for Japan.

Kirsten took her sister's silence as a yes, and thought meticulously on how she was going to answer this.

"Honestly, honey…I haven't really spoken to him since he left town. After what he did to Julie…I felt a sense of loyalty to her."

"Wait…what did he do? You never told me," Hailey interrupted, surprised to hear that Jimmy had been the reason for he and Julie's most recent bust-up.

"Well…I'm not sure how much of what I heard from Julie is the truth, but she did say that he was in some sort of trouble again and left for Hawaii in the middle of the night."

Hailey was not stunned to hear that Jimmy had gotten himself into another sticky situation. At that moment, she knew what she had to do. She was going to Greece.

"Thanks Kiks…that's all I needed to know. Gotta run now…work beckons!"

Before Kirsten could say anything, the line on the other end went dead. Frustrated by her sister's neverending selfishness, she huffed to herself as she placed the receiver back on the hook.

"Nice talking to you too, sis."

Just as Kirsten was about to pick up her morning paper and continue on with her routine, in rushed a manic version of the son she usually knew as Ryan. She could tell by his furrowed brow that he was in full-brooding mode, so she decided if she was going to get any information from him, she would have to tread very carefully. He made a bee-line straight for her, a nervous look of concern on his face. She could see some faint discoloring of his skin that she had noticed over a week ago, but she had decided to keep quiet on that topic, sensing that it might be a sore subject in more than just the literal sense.

"Good morning, honey," she said discreetly.

"Hey Kirsten," he replied, hoping to avoid her eyes with his next question, "can we…um talk?"

She was thankful that at least Hailey had put her in the mood to talk before she had so abruptly hung up. Honing in closer on his appearance, Kirsten knew that he was about to ask for something. His palms were already sweating with anticipation, expecting her to say no. He wasn't like Seth was when he wanted something. No, Ryan only asked for something if he felt like it was truly a necessity. And, even then, it was done with an anticipation of rebuttal. Ushering him to the kitchen table while refreshing her cup of coffee and getting him one, Kirsten braced herself for whatever was coming next.

"Sure, honey, you know you can always talk to me."

As Ryan was about to begin, Kirsten felt the need to interject one more statement, so that he was totally clear that she knew he had been hiding something.

"Before you begin, though, I would like to say something."

Ryan's eyes attended to his adopted mother's frame, as she handed him his favorite mug full of of java. She gingerly sat down, and thouroughly mapped her next statement.

"I have kept my distance lately, knowing that something was up but not wanting you to feel pressured into telling me what it was. But, last night, I realized that you might presume that my non-interference to be me not caring…but, it isn't. I've honestly been worried sick about you since…Marissa left."

The utterance of her name panged Ryan's heart with her memory again. Refocusing on why he had originally come into here to talk with Kirsten, he decided that it was his turn to speak up.

"Uh..actually that's what I came in here to talk to you about. You know, I'm really sorry that it's seemed like I've been pushing you and Sandy out here lately. There's just been a lot going on, and I needed time to figure out my next move. But, now I have. And, that's why I need to talk to you. I need something…something big…"

Kirsten knew that for Ryan to even be asking her that it must be something big, bigger than he himself could handle.

"You know you can always come to us. What is it? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

Ryan smiled faintly, appreciating the worry that he had never seen from his real mother. Kirsten in many ways had surpassed his own mother's capabilities at being a parent. He knew that what he was about to ask for, she would probably say yes to. But, he didn't want her to just agree because he was her son. He wanted her approval.

"No…it's nothing like that. But, Marissa is. I need to go to Greece…find her, stop her from making a huge mistake."

Kirsten remained quiet for a moment, letting the fact that her son wanted to rescue Marissa Cooper again flood over her. She knew in her heart that Ryan would never fully get over Marissa. She could only hope that whatever it was, whatever mistake that he wanted to protect her from making, that Marissa was as responsive to his plea as she was.

"Some things never change, do they? Well, even though I am worried about the possible outcomes that this adventure might provide, and I hate to think of the heartbreak that she could once again inflict upon you, I know you love that girl more than anything. And, it would be cruel of me to stand in the way of true love."

Ryan leaned over in his chair and wrapped his mother in a strong, grateful hug. Every emotion that he could never verbalize transferred through that contact, and Kirsten knew that she had done good by her adopted son.

"Thank you…I'll get you the details soon."

With that, Ryan mimicked his aunt's earlier action and sprang out of Kirsten's world in a flurry. She wasn't as frustrated with him doing this…after all, Hailey had put her in the mood for being a quick fix today.

Kirsten started to think about what would it be like when the boys were actually gone. Could she live her life without the constant chatter and frenzy that she had come to adore? What if they were to think about adding another Cohen to the brood? She had always wished for a little girl, even though she loved her two sons dearly. Maybe it was time to start letting go of her older kids and start thinking about expanding the brood.


	14. A Little LateNight Detective Work

Another chapter up relatively close to the last posting…aren't you proud of me? I've been really trying to put more effort into this story, as I have a lot of passion and creativity…just not a whole lot of free time! I would love some reviews! Next chapter: Ryan finds an unexpected ally at the airport, what is life like at the Cooper/Roberts household, Kirsten approaches Sandy with a revelation.

Chapter XIV: A Little Late-Night Detective Work

Anna was frustrated beyond all belief. She had known when she saw that Summer and Seth were once again going to play an integral part of her everyday life, that she should buckle herself in for the second act of what she vividly remembered as being a wild, unpredictable rollercoaster. But, this was reaching all new depths. She was unsure of what had happened during her almost two-year absence that had made Summer change from the independent, boldly unabashed young woman that she had been into this reclusive, almost obsessive girl that she was now. Surely this wasn't Seth's doing, was it?

Searching for answers around her new dorm room, Anna hoped that her new roommate was okay with her late-night brooding. Glancing at Heather asleep in her hemp green and yellow comforter with peace signs all over it, she smirked to herself. How was she ever going to relate to all of these new people that it seemed she had very little in common with? Noticing all the protest signs and peace rally pictures that decorated Heather's half of the room, she quickly was reminded of how she had felt when she had first moved to Newport. Like a strange, unequipped alien in a foreign land.

She compared her roommate's earthy vibe with her quirky band posters and Detroit picture collages and Japanese anime posters. Maybe they weren't that different. Maybe everyone had some common thread that wove them all together. Maybe the changes that had made Summer almost unrecognizable to her were just a part of the natural human evolutionary process. Or maybe Seth was just a tool that had taken his beautiful dream girl for granted. She had to go straight to the source on this one.

"Hello?" a groggy voice answered the other line.

"Wake up Ironist! We need to talk," she replied, hoping that her stern tone of voice instilled fear into him enough to truthfully divulge what was really going on.

"Anna? It's like….3 in the morning? What's up? Is everything alright? Is…Summer?" Seth bolted straight up from his bed. Something had to be wrong for Anna to be calling him like this so early in the morning. His hair was sticking straight up in the back, as he ran his nervous fingers through it waiting for a response from the person on the other line.

Anna skillfully navigated inside her mind the points she knew she had to hit to get the reaction she wanted from him. Taking a breath to calm herself down, she quietly closed her dorm room door behind her, glancing one last time at Heather to make sure she was still asleep. Tiptoeing down the hall towards the door outside, Anna was annoyed to see that it was raining. Having forgotten her slippers in her dorm, she decided to sit down right by the door.

"Seth…what's going on with you and Summer? I tried to talk to her earlier this week, and she was pretty non-coherent. Normally, I wouldn't worry about that, cause we both know that Summer hasn't always been the beacon of brilliance. But, this non-coherence wasn't like the usual Summer daze. And, I could tell that it had to do with you. So…when I tried to talk to her, she finally told me that you had decided, after EVERYTHING we both went through to get you into RISD, to stay in California and go to Berkeley."

Seth knew what was coming; luckily, he had learned the way to handle rage blackouts after years of practice with Summer. Just sit back and let them get their aggressions out. Don't interrupt, but also make sure that you indicate that you are listening.

"Listen, Anna, I think I know where you're going with this…and, while I do appreciate your concern, it's really something that I'd rather not talk…"

"Oh…CAN IT COHEN! Do you know HOW HARD I…not you…I worked on getting you into RISD….only to find out that you blew it AGAIN…for what? There isn't another girl, is there Seth?"

"WHAT? No…it isn't like that. Is that what Summer told you? She doesn't think that, does she?"

So, Anna's hunch was right. If he was questioning about Summer, then he obviously still had feelings for her. She rubbed her argyle sock-clad feet together for warmth. She had already gotten enough information to reassure her that his actions weren't caused by lack of feelings. But, this enraged her even more to think that he did this for some other reason. She had to know what it was.

"Look, Seth…I'm not trying to get in the middle of this…again. God knows that I've been playing the mediator between the two of you for long enough. Sometimes, I don't even know why I bother, when you both obviously seem so hell-bent on destroying what greatness you guys have together."

At hearing this, Seth began to calm back down. Anna was right; they could always count on her to fix things between him and Summer. But, he couldn't ask her to be that person for the rest of their lives, could he?

"But, I need to know why you're not going to come here…why you're throwing away the dream that you have worked your whole life for? The girl you have worked your whole life for? What gives, Cohen?"

Seth stayed silent on the other end, only rustling to get his General Tso sheets off his heating body. Anna had always been the girl that he had never felt any pressure to lie to. So, even though he had promised Ryan that this wouldn't come out of his mouth ever again, Seth felt the strong urge to spill his secret. But, the image of Ryan in his mind getting beaten to a bloody pulp by Volchek and his buddies, that was enough to keep his mouth shut. If he told Anna, the chain reaction would eventually lead back to Marissa in Greece, and he knew that was not what Ryan wanted to happen.

"Listen, Anna….you know usually I can't lie to you. Well, I can't really lie very well period…but, especially not to you…but, this time, I'm gonna have to plead the 5th on this one. I'll just say that you're right, it's not about Summer. And, believe me, if I could, I would still be headed to RISD in the spring…but, I can't."

Seth quietly crept down the stairs, hoping that he hadn't woken anyone. He had given up any possibility that he was going to sleep tonight…not that he had been really sleeping that well anyway. He bee-lined straight for the coffee maker, adding an extra shot of espresso for the extra jolt he knew he was going to need to get Anna to understand.

"Cohen…what is it? Even for you, this is weird. Why would you give up everything that it sounds like you still want for yourself to stay on the west coast with your bro…wait a minute, where does Ryan fit in all of this?"

Anna could sense immediately that she had exposed the root of the issue. What could Ryan possibly need from Seth? And, where was Marissa involved in all of this? Seth was still keeping mum on the other end of the phone, trying instead to focus on the proper amount of sugar that he needed in his first cup of morning brew. Anna shivered to herself, missing the warmth of California herself at that minute.

"Cohen? SETH?"

Seth snapped back into the moment, realizing that he had yet to answer Anna. Not surprisingly, she was already inferring herself into an answer, and while he secretly wanted her to figure out what was going on and swoop in to rescue his relationship once again, he was worried about the repercussions that Ryan could potentially face if he was left at Berkeley by himself. No, he had to stay resolute.

"Sorry, Anna…working on my first cup of coffee…you know how I get without my morning brew. And, since it was YOU who decided to call at this ripe hour, you'll just have to wait til I'm done."

Anna pulled the phone back from her ear to make sure that she had just heard that correctly. How did he go from being so worried and scared to trying to exert his still non-existent power? Oh no, he may be able to play mind games with Summer, but he wasn't doing it to her. Standing up still hurdled under the rain gutter of her dorm, Anna took charge.

"No, COHEN, YOU are going to listen to me. I don't have to be doing this…to save you from once again ruining your relationship, but I am. And, you know, this time it isn't even for you. It's for Summer….Seth, she's in bad shape. You have to tell me what's going on…you know I'll come back to California and BEAT IT OUT OF YOU IF I HAVE TO!"

"Okay..okay, look…this probably isn't the best place to talk," he muttered, scanning the still-empty room before he walked out the front door of the Cohen house into the crisp, but still pleasant night air. Seth looked up at the stars for a moment, instantly wishing that he was sitting with Summer on the hood of her car eating French fries and spilling their most secret dreams. Maybe salvaging that was worth whatever repercussions Ryan could enforce upon him. It couldn't be any worse than he was feeling now, could it? "Okay, we're good now. So, listen, if I tell you what's going on, you have to swear that you won't say anything…and, not like a Seth Cohen promise, which everyone knows by nature is bound to be broken…but, like an Anna Stern promise, one that will be kept until death. Okay?"

Anna smiled to herself, remembering a little bit of why she had fallen for this guy so long ago. Sitting back down outside the door, she concurred with his request.

"Okay, I can do that."

"Alright…well, right after Marissa left for Europe, Ryan was going through a pretty broody period, which was to be expected because he doesn't seem to function without that girl. He never told me exactly what happened at the airport when he dropped her off, but I could tell that it wasn't good. So, then a couple weeks ago, I walk in from getting the new Cav and Clay, which, by the way, IS AWESOME…really, could they have topped themselves after Clay morphed himself into that fog and rescued Cav from the Greyling?"

"Cohen…focus here, it's late, and I'm hoping to get out of here some time before dawn."

"Right…so, I go back to the pool house to check on him…give him the usual offer of Seth-Ryan time, which he usually declined in favor of silence in the dark…and, there he was. His face was all swollen and bloody…I could see his black eye shining in the moonlight. I knew something had happened…so, I asked him. He said that he had run into some friends of Volchek's…"

'Volchek,' Anna thought, remembering that name sounding vaguely familiar.

"Volchek?" Why does that sound familiar?"

"He was the guy that Marissa dated after Ryan…the one she took to prom."

"The one that stole all the prom money?"

"Yep."

Anna remembered his face now. Yes, she should have known that he would not be gone forever. But, what did this have to do with Seth deciding to stay in California?

"So, okay…Ryan got jumped…what does this have to do with you deciding to stay in Newport?"

Seth shrugged to himself, proceeding to walk down the stone pathway towards the ocean near the end of their gated community. He saw the security guard reading a book at his usual post, and waved to him to let him know he was leaving. God, what he wouldn't give to spend this beautiful night with Summer.

"Well, Ryan made me keep this from the parents…so, I did, surprisingly…but, a few days later, Ryan went to Volchek's apartment, and he found Caitlyn Cooper there."

Anna's eyebrow raised at the admission of Marissa's little sister hanging out with her creepy ex-boyfriend. It wasn't possible that they were…

"They weren't?"

"I'm pretty sure that they were. And, she covered for him, telling Ryan that he had found a way to get into Berkeley…and to watch his back…Ryan came back, and even though he didn't admit it, he looked pretty scared. He started talking about transferring or dropping out…and, I just…I couldn't let him do that, not after how hard he worked to get into that school. You know? So, I just did what I thought would help. I didn't want him to be alone there."

Now, it was all clear to Anna. Any anger that she had previously been harboring towards Seth was now gone. He was trying in his own way to protect the brother that had always defended and protected him.

"Oh, Seth…I'm sorry. I guess when I heard Summer's version of the story…I just didn't know what to think. And, you have known to make rash, quick decisions in the past. But, I mean, why didn't you just tell Summer what was going on? She would've understood. Instead, you lied to her…again, and this time, I don't think she's gonna get over it. Seth, I'm worried about her. You have to tell her the truth…Ryan will understand."

Seth reached the waterfront, quickly slipping off his shoes and socks to feel the sand between his toes. It always helped to calm him down whenever he was upset. And, there was nothing that upset Seth more than the thought of the love of his life being miserable because of something he had done. He shuffled through the tides, hoping the water would give him the courage to do what he had known all along would eventually have to be done. He would have to tell someone…Ryan was going to flip, but what could he really even accomplish by going to Berkeley? It wasn't like he was going to scare off Volchek and his buddies by himself.

"I know…I just hope it isn't too late for Summer to understand."

"Well, you'll never know until you try. Look, Seth," Anna said, standing up and shaking her legs awake, "I gotta go. It's late, and I have a quiz tomorrow. Talk to her…soon."

And, with that, Anna hung up. The rain had begun to calm down, and Anna stuck her head out from under the ledge that had been saving her from getting wet, allowing her face to be softly covered in water. She ran her hands through her hair and blinked her eyes rapidly, hoping this would refresh her and wake her up. There was no way that she could get any sleep now.

Letting herself back into her room, Anna was taken aback to find that when she sat on her bed, someone was already occupying it.

"Summer?"

Summer was huddled under the covers, eyes stained from what Anna could only guess was tears. Her eyes were fixed on a picture on Anna's darkened room wall, one of her, Anna, and Seth back when they had first started hanging out. She could not take her eyes away from that picture. Sensing that she was not in the mood to talk, Anna slowly climbed into bed with her and put her arms gently around her. Summer dug her face into her friend's chest, no longer able to contain her despair. Anna soothingly ran her fingers through Summer's hair, both of them staying silent but understanding what the other was going through.

'Seth, you better tell her…soon.'


	15. Across the Universe

Hello all! Here is the chapter that I think you've been waiting for….Greece! Now, this is not going to end the way I know most of you (and myself) want it to….but, it will open the doors wide for multiple opportunities. Preview for the next chapters: Julie/Neil disagree about Caitlyn, Kirsten's priorities are changing, Seth seeks advice from someone he hopes he can trust, the newness of living together wears off for Volchek and Caitlyn.

Chapter XV: Across the Universe

Hailey had never been to Greece. Her worldwide travels had spanned most of the globe, but Hailey had never made it here before. She wasn't even sure what she was doing here…just following a gut instinct in her heart that Jimmy needed her. Waiting at the baggage claim, Hailey hoped that she hadn't come here for nothing. As she struggled to lift her black Louis Vuitton bag, Hailey bumped into another person, sending them both crashing to the ground.

"Hey…watch where you're going…you could've killed m…Ryan?"

Ryan blinked his eyes multiple times to make sure that he wasn't still asleep in the plane. Nope, he wasn't. That was Hailey standing right in front of him. What was she doing here?

"Hailey…what are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same question. But, something tells me I may already know the answer," she replied, a small smile creeping onto her face as she pondered the likelihood of the two of them being here for similar purposes. "Here…help me with my bags, and we'll go grab a coffee."

Ryan followed Hailey to the conveyor, grabbing a cart to put both of their bags in. He had already grabbed his stuff, so he shoved his duffle bag in the bottom of the cart before grabbing Hailey's bags. He was still unsure of why she was here; maybe she was on business with her company. But, she didn't look like she was dressed for business. Either way, Ryan was glad to have someone in his corner during this sure-to-be interesting adventure. Maybe she could give him some advice on how to approach this whole Marissa-Paolo engagement thing.

They made their way in silence towards the airport coffee shop. Ryan ordered a black coffee with two sugars.

Looking over at him with a warm smile, Hailey remarked, "Some things never change, huh?"

He smiled back, blushing at how she could see right through him. He hoped that when he did see Marissa that she wouldn't notice how nervous he really was. But, if he was honest with himself, he knew that the chances of that were slim to none. Sitting down at a nearby table, Ryan blew lightly on the steaming cup of brew before taking a sip. He exhaled slightly as he let the caffeine re-energize him. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, forgetting where he was, Ryan imagined the look on her face when she saw that he had came halfway across the world to see her

"So…Sandy and Kirsten agreed to fund your cross-continent skirt-chasing?" Hailey smirked, teasing her nephew for the same thing that she herself was doing. She sat across the small table just outside the quaint café, glancing around to intake the culture that had engulfed the loves of both of their lives.

Ryan shrugged in accordance, avoiding eye contact with her due to embarrassment over her accuracy at calling him out. He was curious as to why his aunt was also in town. She was probably on business. Maybe he could stay with her.

"So, what about you? Here on business?"

Hailey shook her head. There was no use in trying to cover up her true intentions for this visit. "Nope, actually, I'm here on a similar quest. Honestly, I'm not sure what led me here…I just talked to Marissa the other day, and I guess…I got a little nostalgic. So, I took a few days off work. Just wanted to see if he thought of me half as much as I think of him."She ducked her head down, taking a small sip from her latte.

Ryan was bewildered by this answer. Could it be that he was not the only person in the world pining over the mistakes they had made? This insight gave him a newfound sense of confidence. If Hailey could do it, then he could definitely do it.

"Do you have a place to stay yet?" he asked, finally having the courage to look into her eyes.

Hailey smiled at his earnestness. At first, she had been very wary of this kid that Sandy and Kirsten had adopted. She thought they had been crazy to let an ex-convict move in with them; she assumed they were getting soft in their old age, or that maybe Seth was driving them crazy with his incessant nagging about how he had no friends in Newport. But, getting to know him better, she quickly understood what had jumped out about Ryan. He was different, and it hadn't taken her very long to see that.

"Well, I called a few places before I left Tokyo…but, none of them had openings. I was kinda hoping that Jimmy would see me…tell me how much he had been missing me, and invite me to stay on the boat."

Her wish had sounded so much like Ryan's that he couldn't help but sympathize for her. Taking another long sip from his coffee, he sat in silence, trying to figure out their next move. It would probably behoove them to think about getting a hotel for the night. Kirsten had provided him with the emergency credit card, so that should be no problem. That way they could brainstorm and tackle this clear-headed first thing in the morning.

"Look, why don't we find a hotel…get some sleep, and we'll figure out our next move over dinner?"

Hailey nodded in agreement.

"Sounds like a plan. You lead the way."

They dropped their coffee cups in the airport wastebasket and left through the doors with anticipation flowing through their bodies. Could anything possibly go wrong?

Meanwhile, Paolo was deep in thought. He had decided that tonight was the night that he was going to ask Marissa to be his girlfriend. Lately, she had seemed to be more receptive to his advances. He thought that maybe, just maybe, she was finally ready to see him in that light. Figuring he'll never know if he doesn't at least try, he had set up what he perceived as the ultimate date for the two of them. He had asked Jimmy for assistance with his plan by allowing Marissa to take the night off, which he had easily agreed to do.

Carefully examining the cabin he had decorated with flowers, candles, and various other romantic décor, Paolo hoped that this gesture evoked within Marissa what she had been evoking from him since the day they first met. He didn't want to come off as trying to hard or being too desperate, but he still knew that he had to get his point across. This was the girl for him, and, as soon as she realized that pining over a lost love was not the way to live, she would recognize it too.

So deep was he in his own thoughts that Paolo jumped when there came a knock at his door. Running over to see who it was, he smiled to himself when he saw Marissa's impatient frame standing outside the door tapping her black sling-backs against the beige carpeted floor.

"Paolo? Are you in there? My dad told me to come find you…that you had something you needed my help with? What's going on?"

Chuckling at her restlessness, Paolo opened the door only enough to slip himself out. He quickly shut the door to the room, much to the chagrin of a curious Marissa. She sat there with her furrowed eyebrows questioning his erratic, atypical behavior. Quickly dismissing her unspoken questions, Paolo hurried them away from the room and down the hall towards the main exit. Grabbing her by the hand as he had often done before, he couldn't help but feel an extra bolt of electricity tonight knowing what was possibly to come.

"Okay…I guess this is meant to be a surprise then? Okay, I can handle surprises," she said, still not really convincing either of them that what she was saying was true. Smirking at her knowing that she was just trying to sucker him into feeling sorry for her and letting her in on the secret, Paolo did not relent.

"Sorry. I know you too well. You aren't going to dupe me into anything tonight. I'm sticking to the gun."

Marissa couldn't help but laugh at Paolo's incorrect translation of American slang. It was something that endeared him to her. Looking over at him, she felt that something about tonight was definitely different than most usual nights on the boat. Sensing that Paolo was acting more nervous than normal, Marissa suspected that he had either done something wrong or was planning something for her.

"What? Did I not say that right?" he asked, confused as to what she was giggling at.

Walking down the ramp towards shore, Paolo scanned the horizon for the car that he had rented for the night. Since it seemed like they were always working, there hadn't been much time for exploring the main land. Marissa hadn't even made it to see Athens, so, tonight Paolo had planned to take her out to enjoy the local food and dancing.

"No…it's fine. I was just thinking about how mad the crew's gonna be when they see that I'm not working tonight. Does my dad know about this?"

"Marissa, don't worry about that. I took care of it." Paolo flashed her a knowing smile, openly enjoying her obliviousness. He ushered Marissa off the end of the boat ramp, and they stopped for a moment to look back at the place they now called home. As he spotted the car out of the corner of his eye, Paolo motioned for Marissa to follow him. As he opened the car door for her, Marissa's curiosity gave way to an overwhelming feeling of dread. Not that she didn't love to be taken care of, especially from a guy as sweet and hot as Paolo. But, she was dreading the moment later in the night when she knew she was going to be put on the spot again about their potential relationship.

"Okay…good. Didn't want him having a heart attack when he didn't know where I was."

"I promise…you're covered. Now, let's jet. We need the night off to just spend being young tourists."

With that said, she sat in the crisp, blue Honda Accord, and with Paolo, sped off towards an unknown adventure. But, she couldn't help but feel like this night was bound to end in heartache.

Later that afternoon, Ryan and Hailey had settled into their hotel room after several hours of searching for somewhere with an open room. Dropping her weighted bags, Hailey silently cursed herself for becoming one of those women that she used to despise who packed everything but the kitchen sink. But, since she was unsure of long this visit may last, she wanted to be prepared.

"Man, I can't believe that this was the ONLY place with vacancies. I mean…it's not bad, believe me…I've stayed in worse…way worse. But, I guess I should've booked ahead."

Ryan looked over at his aunt, who had plopped herself onto the first full bed in their joint room. There had always been something about Hailey that had been intriguing to Ryan; it was probably their similarities, their penchant for loving troubled souls, and their habit of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Whatever it was, he was really thankful that this task was no longer his alone.

"So, what's the game plan, lover boy? Or are you just making it up as you go too? Nah…" Hailey continued as she propped her head up onto her hands, resting her elbows against the worn, blue paisley comforter, "Something tells me that you've been thinking about this moment since Marissa left for Greece. So, tell me, what happened with you two? I mean, when I left, I thought things were going pretty well."

Ryan leaned back against the stiff, wooden headboard of his twin bed. Searching the bland, Grecian décor for some clue as to how to answer this question that had long-plagued his internal thoughts, Ryan finally succumbed to the realization that he had been at fault for everything. Marissa had desperately wanted him to insist that she not get on that plane, that she stay and go to Berkeley with him. And, truthfully, that was the one thing that he had wanted too…more than anything else in the world. Shifting uncomfortably on the hard-as-a-rock mattress, Ryan knew that this was his last-ditch effort to win her back. If this didn't work, then he was out of grand gestures, and he would just have to live with his mistake for the rest of his life.

"Ryan? HELLO?"

Ryan turned his head to see his concerned aunt with eyebrows furrowed in curiosity. He really didn't want to talk about it, but he knew that she would not let this case go so easily.

"I don't know…honestly, it was all my fault. And…now that there might be a fiancé in the picture, I HAVE to make it right."

Hailey nodded her head in understanding, somewhat taken aback that Marissa had gotten engaged so young. But, she and Ryan, they were both in the same boat. She had no reason to believe that Jimmy hadn't moved on with some gorgeous Grecian goddess. But, they both had to push those thoughts out of their minds if they were going to focus on the task at hand.

"Ryan, listen to me," she stated, urging him to look at her, "She loves you. Everyone knows that. Let's finish getting unpacked…go grab a quick bite, and figure out our plan of attack."

Ryan agreed, and they continued organizing and putting away their stuff in silence. As they were leaving the hotel, Hailey asked for a good local café to get a taste of traditional Greek cuisine. The concierge suggested a place nearby called _Tapinade_, known around town for it's delicious olive-based meals. Thanking the young man, Hailey and Ryan headed out the front door of the hotel and into the midst of Athens at dusk.


	16. Chicken Soup for the Confused

Ola! Well, I thought that since I left the last chapter with a bit of a cliffhanger…that I would prolong the curiosity and jump to Julie/Neil/Caitlyn for a minute. Preview for the next chapters: Kirsten's priorities are changing, Seth seeks advice from someone he hopes he can trust, and Athens proves to be a small world.

Chapter XVI: Chicken Soup for the Confused

The Roberts' mansion had afforded Caitlyn many luxuries that she was now realizing that she might have taken for granted. Looking around the musty apartment that she had once-deemed as a "safe haven", she was beginning to comprehend that things weren't always as they seemed. First of all, how did people function without maids? The whole concept of doing her own laundry and washing dishes had been one that had really brought Caitlyn to the truth that living away from her parents was decision that she may have come to too quickly.

"Hey babe," Volchek retorted, taking a deep drag from his cigarette. As he leaned over to give her a kiss, the ash protruding from his smoke fell onto her lap. Caitlyn grimaced as she wondered to herself how anyone could live in a place as covered in ashes and beer bottles as this was. But, he didn't seem to mind, and, right now, he was the only good thing she had going in her life.

"Hey…what's up? Where were you last night? I thought you said you were coming home early?" She brushed the ash from her lap as she got up to get herself a glass of water. Reaching through the cupboard, all she could find were shot glasses. She had done dishes just two days ago, but it seemed that somehow they had already gotten dirty again. Sighing to herself, Caitlyn grabbed a shot glass and filled it with water. Then, still waiting to hear what his reason for not coming back last night was, Caitlyn returned to her seat on the couch.

"Oh…it's cool. Just got caught up with the boys…you know, doing stuff."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes, displeased that he hadn't at least tried to come up with an original excuse. He had used this same one for several of the nights in the last week. She shook her head disapprovingly and then took the shot glass of water.

"Damn, girl…guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree on that one…" Volchek snickered, recalling Marissa's wilder days. Honestly, he wasn't sure if he could ever feel for Caitlyn what he had for Marissa. Caitlyn was way more protective and curious, something that he hadn't tolerated in women he dated in the past. But, as he finished his last drag and put his cigarette out in the blue glass ashtray, Volchek thought that at least having her here was something…something that could replace the emptiness he felt when he thought about Marissa.

Caitlyn looked at him with disgust. She was slowly starting to realize that it wasn't her that Volchek really wanted. It was Marissa…as always. Here she had thought that this was the one person that had preferred her company to her sister's. Sighing with the realization that this living arrangement was turning out to be all too real for her, Caitlyn leaned back in the couch and pondered what her mom and Neil would say if she came back to the house. Her mom would probably lecture her for not calling and ground her for a while. But, could that really be half as bad as living here and never having any food in the refrigerator or anyone to hang out with?

"Yeah…bet you like that, huh?" she retorted, pulling herself off up the couch and walking across the loft to the bathroom. "I'm taking a shower, then I have to go to registration. I'll be back later."

Volchek could sense the coldness emanating from her had the same venom-spiked tone that Marissa used to have. Whenever Marissa had been like that, he had shrugged her off, not wanting to appear like he had any vested interest in her presence. But, with Caitlyn, he did have a vested interest, and he knew that to fully execute his plan, he was going to have to appease her for now.

Jumping across the couch, he hastily put out his cigarette in the already-overflowing ashtray and followed her to the bathroom. He held out his hand to stop the door, perfectly timing it so that he could squeeze into the room with her before she even noticed.

"HEY…what are YOU DOING?"

"I'm sorry…I know you hate it when I do that. I just….sometimes…it's kinda…"

"Weird?" she finished, already knowing how it must be. They smiled at each other knowingly.

"You want me to go with you…to registration?"

Caitlyn pondered the possibilities for a moment…the opportunity to piss her already-fuming mom off, the chance to show off her much-older boyfriend to her sure-to-be jealous friends. It seemed like a no-brainer.

"Of course…you know I do love to make a scene."

That mischievous smile was one that Volchek remembered. Marissa used to have that look on her face when she wanted him. 'God,' he thought to himself, 'I've got to get over her.'

Meanwhile, Julie was starting to get impatient. She had told herself that Neil was the only thing keeping her life together. But, in her heart, she knew that wasn't true. Even with his seemingly endless understanding and graciousness, he hadn't been enough to keep her from turning to the real thing that had kept Julie going: painkillers. That little blue and white pill had been her true best friend since both of her daughters had abandoned her. She justified to herself that that's what she was using them for, to kill the pain that she was feeling. Only, she knew that what had once been an occasional use was blossoming into a full-blown addiction. And, it was getting more and more difficult to cover up, knowing that Neil's reaction would most assuredly be tainted with disapproval. After all, he had dissolved his previous marriage with Gloria because of her "zombie-like tendencies", so what made her think that he would be any more understanding of her situation?

This lifestyle that Julie had fought so hard for always seemed to come with a price. With Jimmy, it had been her pressuring him that pushed him to commit fraud. She knew that although he had never directly put any blame on her, that she was still partly responsible for that downfall. And, after that, most of her decisions had been based upon how it would affect her financially. Finally, one night she had been home alone in the trailer, and Julie swore to herself that she would get back to the upper crust of Newport without selling her soul. And, she had. She was back in the world that she had always felt was made for her, but, this time, she was seeing it from an outsider's perspective. Living in that kind of hard circumstances had really changed Julie…forcing her to lean on her daughters for support. Now that her daughters were both gone, Julie was finding it hard to stand alone.

After she finished spraying her hair and checking her make-up one last time, Julie flew down the stairs. She was going to be late; that she already knew. This would be the first face-to-face that she had had with Caitlyn since she stormed out several weeks ago. Instead of calling the cops and initiating threats the way she had done when Marissa had pulled similar stunts, Julie instead decided to let her daughter fall on her own terms this time. It wasn't that Julie didn't care as much about Caitlyn, although she was sure that Caitlyn saw it that way. But, she just didn't have the energy to fight anymore. Not with the only family that she had left.

Jumping in her Lexus SUV, Julie wished that Neil hadn't had to work that afternoon. She knew that him being there would have been a reason for her not to take her pills. But, Neil wasn't around a lot. His job was very demanding; after all, they did live in Newport, the plastic surgery capital of California. He had made sacrifices for Summer when his wife left just the way that Julie had when Jimmy left. Turning on the engine, she said a small prayer that today would go smoothly, and that the daughter that she had once shipped away to boarding school would park her resentment towards her for the day. Maybe, if she was lucky, she would even want to come back home.

At the courtyard of Harbour, Caitlyn scanned the crowd for her friends. Since she had left for boarding school while most of her friends had stayed in Newport, she knew that there was a chance that she may not fit in anymore. But, not wanting to show any sign of insecurity around her new boyfriend, Caitlyn put on a brave face. Grabbing his hand tightly, she smiled up at him. If she didn't know better, she could've sworn that she saw a genuine interest on his part to be there with her.

"So, where's the parentals? I'm sure Julie will so happy to see me," he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He put out the cigarette that he had been smoking in the grass. Another student's parent nearby looked at him with disgust. He smiled triumphantly as Caitlyn spotted her mother scrambling to collect her stuff from the passenger seat of her car.

Julie was running late, furiously trying to meet the deadline she herself had set for her daughter over the phone a few days ago. She shoved all her paperwork into her new Betsey Johnson pink checkered tote while closing the door to her SUV. Seeking out her daughter didn't take much effort, as Julie clearly spotted Caitlyn lurking near the front entrance. But, seeing Volchek with her had genuinely shocked Julie. Eyeing him up and down, his black t-shirt still showing stains of all sorts and his dark, faded jeans so full of holes that there was barely enough fabric to hold them together, Julie miffed her head in disgust. She knew this was a test, and her best plan of action was to act as if nothing was bothering her. She figured that giving the child no reaction to her rebellion would quell the need. Hopefully, she was right.

"Caitlyn…hello honey…you're looking….thin. Love that top…isn't that the Paul Frank that we bought that one day when we saw George Clooney at the Plaza?"

Caitlyn eyed her mother suspiciously, not expecting this reaction. Obviously, this was the fake Julie Cooper that she had to plaster on in front of the ever-looming judgmental Newpsies. Deciding to go along with it for now, Caitlyn nodded her head.

"You remember Kevin?" she motioned to her counterpart, laughing as he wiped his hands off on his jeans before sticking his arm out to shake. Julie quickly grabbed his hands with the tips of her fingers before swiftly releasing his grip and wiping her own hands.

"Of course…how could I forget? Marissa told me so much about you."

Caitlyn cringed at the thought that Volchek had been in their lives while she had still been in boarding school. Awkwardly standing in silence in the front corridor of the school, Caitlyn felt compelled to end this silent discomfort.

"Okay…you ready? All we need to do is pick up my schedule. I already pre-registered during orientation. Then, we can be on our merry little way."

Julie nodded, but, seeking to catch her daughter offguard, she replied with an invitation.

"Well, I was thinking…honey, since it's been a while since we've last spent some time together…maybe you and Kevin would like to join me for lunch at the Crab Shack…my treat."

This invitation stopped Volchek dead in his tracks in the middle of the doorway into the school. He wasn't sure if Julie was trying to play some sort of game with him or if she was being serious. Either way, he couldn't turn down a free lunch. As he walked inside the school, letting the two Cooper women walk in front of him, he glanced inquisitively at Caitlyn. He could tell that she was having the same suspicions, but she looked a little more hesitant about accepting her offer. But, Julie Cooper intrigued him. And, anything that could push the potential of Marissa finding out about his continuing existence in the family during her absence was worth it to him.

"We're in."

Caitlyn eyed him with confusion and curiosity as they continued their way down the main hall of Harbour. After grabbing her schedule from the new counselor, Mrs. Flackerstein, Caitlyn made her way to her assigned locker, shoving her newly supplied books into them with disdain. 'Boarding school was nothing compared to this,' she thought.

"Man, do they have a new book for every quarter? Shit…"

Julie eyed her with disapproval, still keeping mum but letting her daughter know that even though she was not throwing a public fit, that she was still not happy with her behavior.

"Hey…chill out…at least you get to go somewhere like this. Try public school…total crap. At least here you get to see the ocean from class."

Julie turned to Volchek, furrowing her eyebrows with interest. It had never occurred to her that maybe the two of them weren't that different. She had known all too well what life had been like growing up on the wrong side of the tracks. She remembered wishing for the ocean's spray and midday sun during her seemingly endless classes with drone, uninterested teachers who were only motivated by the week's end and summer vacation. He was right. Caitlyn didn't realize how lucky she was.

"You know, he's right Caitlyn. There are a lot of worse things in life than getting an education at a top-level school."

Caitlyn shifted her focus from her unfamiliarly authoritative boyfriend and her surely scheming mother, never thinking that their ganging up on her would be the outcome of her decision to bring him to registration. Skeptically, she crossed her arms across her chest as they left the hallway and made their way out of the building and into the courtyard.

After Volchek and Caitlyn agreed to meet Julie at the Crab Shack, they got into his car and sped out of the now-vacant parking lot. The tension in the air was thick, and Caitlyn knew that she had to bring the subject up before they got to restaurant. Fiddling with the straps on her favorite black and grey striped tank top, she tapped her toes against the footboard, hoping that he would get the point. When he stayed mum, choosing to instead turn up the volume on the radio and light a cigarette, she knew that this one was going to have to be initiated by her.

"So…why were you so nice to my mom back there? I thought you hated her?"

Volchek looked over to the youngest Cooper girl, flashing her a mischievous smile before taking a long drag from his cigarette. He flicked the ash out of the window, trying to decide if he was going to let her drag him into what was sure to be an argument.

"I don't know…free lunch I guess. I'm hungry."

Caitlyn shifted in the worn, uncomfortable passenger seat as she tried to decide if his excuse was valid or if he was just placating her. Something didn't sit right with her on this one.

"Really? Cause the Volchek I know would've never gone soft on such a heinous bitch like my mom just to get free schwag. You getting' soft in your old age?"

Eyeing her with amusement, Volchek briefly thought of his relationship with his own mother. The way she had had no problem with kicking him out when he was Caitlyn's age, the way she clumsily stumbled around their dirty apartment knocking over beer bottles in the middle of the night. He would never admit it, but he was jealous of anyone whose mother seemed to care about them the way his own mother hadn't. But, he was never going to let Caitlyn know that. No, instead he needed to come up with a reason that would uphold his image.

"Nah…it ain't that. She just….I don't know. What can I say…I see where the hot family genes came from."

This statement infuriated Caitlyn. So, what he was basically telling her was that not only was she going to have to compete with Marissa for the top spot on his list, which she was still somewhat bothered by, but also now, now she had to worry about him with her mom. And, knowing Julie Cooper's tendency to slum with her daughter's boyfriends every now and then, she wouldn't put it past her mom to do this just to spite her. Man, why couldn't things just work out the way she wanted them to?

"Oh…really? Well, I tell you what. You can have her. I'M OUT! PULL OVER! NOW!"

Volchek glanced over at her, amused that she was even taking him seriously. Finishing up his cigarette, he threw it out of the window and wiped his hand on his old, dirty shirt. Although he really didn't feel like getting into this with her again, Volchek knew that having her live with him was severely cramping his style. But, he had to keep reminding himself that he needed her around if he wanted to complete his plan.

"Hey…calm down…I was just fuckin' with ya. Of course I would never go there. She's way too ancient for me. I just think…maybe it isn't as bad as you think…you know, having her worry about you. At least it shows she cares."

Closing her eyes to calm herself down, Caitlyn could hear the inner desperation that Volchek had about his own mother. Not that he would ever let her see any of that, nor did she think she was prepared to deal with that. But, just the tone of his voice told her that maybe she was taking a little too much for granted when it came to her mother. As they pulled up and parked in front of the Crab Shack, Caitlyn let herself out, giving her hair a quick comb through with her fingers.

"Come on, princess…this isn't a beauty contest."

"This Newport. Life is a beauty contest," she retorted, quickly scurrying to catch up to him as they entered the front door. Inside, Caitlyn immediately spotted Julie sitting in a booth towards the back of the restaurant. 'She probably doesn't want anyone to see her here with us,' she thought to herself as they made their way past the lobster tank back towards the booth.

"There you are…I thought maybe you had gotten lost," Julie quipped, noticing their delay at arriving. Before sitting down, Caitlyn excused herself to the restroom. Julie, studying Volchek to get a read on whether this was the right time, decided that this was her shot.

"So, this gives us a minute to talk, alone. Now, I know that you haven't been my biggest fan…like, ever. But, I'm not stupid. I know that you are just using Caitlyn hoping that word leaks back to Marissa."

Volchek intently listened to what Julie had to say. He knew that she was about to proposition him with an offer, but he still had yet to figure out what that offer was. As the waiter dropped off menus, he kept his ears on Julie.

"I'm listening."

"So, I'm willing to offer you a deal. For taking care of Caitlyn. I just….I can't mess this new relationship up. He's the first man that has really cared about me, and I need everything to go as planned. I'm not living in that trailer again."

Volchek smiled at the memory of the first time he had been let inside that trailer. The hot night that Marissa had finally let him in. He began to sweat just thinking about it. He remembered how much Julie had hated the thought of him and Marissa together. That's why he found it so ironic that she was pretty much begging him to take care of her younger daughter now. Maybe Caitlyn was right, maybe Julie did love one daughter more than the other.

Julie pulled out her checkbook and hastily wrote him a check, eyeing him intermittedly to make sure that he was okay with where this was going.

"Here…and there will more of these if you agree to make sure that she stays in school and passes her classes."

Volchek studied the check to make sure that it was really. $10,000. Damn, that was a lot of money. This was working out perfectly for him. Not only was Caitlyn right in the palm of his hand, but now, her mom was paying him off to keep her away.

"Man, you woulda never let me do this with Marissa. What's the difference now?"

"Look, I just…I can't have what happened with Caleb happen again. And, Caitlyn is my daughter. She's not going to listen to me no matter what I do. So, I'm not fighting it this time. If this is what she wants, then she gets it. I just thought you might want it to be worth your while. We both know the only reason you're with her is because Marissa isn't here."

At that moment, Caitlyn appeared to be back from the bathroom. She had overheard the last part of the conversation and was enraged that her mother would pay her boyfriend to keep her away. Tears threatened to prick her eyes, but Caitlyn stayed resolute. As she revealed herself to the two, she shook her head in disgust at their actions. Speechless for a minute, Julie tried to intercept her and turn on the damage control.

"Caity….this isn't what it looks like. Here…sit…"

But, Caitlyn, being her mother's daughter, refused, shaking off her mother's arm and standing in front of the booth so that the whole restaurant could see.

"So, this is how it is now, huh? You can't ship me off to boarding school anymore, so you pay off my boyfriend to keep me from ruining your new engagement? MAN, NOW I KNOW WHY OUR FAMILY IS SO FUCKED UP? IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU!"

With that, Caitlyn stormed out, leaving Volchek and Julie speechless at the booth.


	17. Father Knows Best?

YAY! I'm really pumped for this chapter, as I am a big S/K, S/S fan. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter XVII: Father Knows Best?

Sandy Cohen was beginning to feel a little left out. After throwing himself into the public defender position that he had admittedly missed very much, Sandy had recently found himself an outsider at home. Kirsten had been acting very downtrodden and frequently quiet lately, while Seth's sure-to-be excitement about going to Rhode Island had been mysteriously replaced with a somber, resolute decision to stay in California. And Ryan…well, Sandy admitted that there had often been times where Ryan's emotional state had been well hidden from him and everyone else. But, this time…this time he felt that Ryan could be in real trouble.

Adjusting his favorite black and silver trimmed tie, Sandy brushed off the little specs of lint that adorned his old suit that had been stuffed into the back of his closet for a long while now. Kirsten had promised him that they would be having a special dinner tonight; after all, they really hadn't been able to spend as much quality time as they had wanted to lately, with getting the boys ready for college and their endless hours working. Sandy moved across the bedroom to the mirror, silently chastising his father's genetics for cursing him with seemingly untamable eyebrows. Licking his fingers haphazardly, Sandy brushed his eyebrow down in hopes that the straw hairs would obey his hands' instructions. Of course, they didn't, and he finally gave up trying. Taking one last glance over his appearance, Sandy nodded to himself in semi-approval.

As he walked down the stairs, a nagging question remained in his mind. When he had asked her a few days ago if she had seen Ryan recently, she shrugged him off, saying something about him needing to have time to think. That wasn't like Kirsten to be the one to shrug things off. He got the distinct impression that she knew something that she was withholding from him.

"Whoa…pops…got a hot date tonight?" Seth remarked from the kitchen, where he was hoping to get in another pot of coffee for his planned all-nighter of anime movies. They seemed to be the only things that could keep his mind off of Summer. And, with Ryan in Greece, Seth had no one to talk to about his problems, so he was left flying solo until his brother returned.

Sandy rounded the corner, making his way into the kitchen. Noticing that his quirky son had still yet to change out of his pajamas, he felt compelled to ask the question that he had been waiting for the perfect timing for.

"First of all, yes..I do have a hot date tonight. That I want to make sure I'm on time for. But," he continued, looking at his offspring in the eyes, "first, I think we may need to have a talk. About your decision to stay in California."

Seth sighed out loud, not wanting to reassure another person that this was what he really wanted to do. Because, he wasn't quite sure that it was. And, he knew his father saw right through this. Packing the filter full of the ground beans, Seth tugged at his "No, I love you more" t-shirt.

"Listen, dad, I've told you before…I just realized that I would miss California too much, so I decided to stay here."

He cocked his eyebrow up, trying to judge whether or not his dad believed him. As he flipped the switch and the smell of fresh coffee emanated throughout the Cohen kitchen, he moved across the room to sit at the breakfast table. Sandy followed him.

"Come on, Seth. You remember that it is part of my job as a lawyer to sniff out when someone's lying right? Now…here's what I do know. I found a towel the other day in Ryan's room. It was stained with blood…and, not just your average cuts or scrapes type of blood. But, like the blood from a fight. And, then, a few days later…you suddenly decide to forego everything you have dreamed about since you were 4 years old…getting out of Newport and away from all the evil Newpsie horror that your mother and I have "subjected" you to for your whole life. It just seems a little fishy to me. And, as much as I would like to have this conversation with Ryan as well…he seems to be MIA for the last few days. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that either, would you?"

The timing of the coffee pot could not have been more perfect for Seth to escape his father's intuitive line of questioning. Grabbing for his cup, Seth quietly weighed his options, trying to decide which tactic he should use to get this conversation over with in the quickest, less painful way. He could always get defensive and try to deflect the questioning back on his father, but Sandy Cohen was the master at staying the course when it came to interrogation. Or, he could use flattery to try and butter him up and make him feel guilty for even asking the hard questions to a son that was being so nice to him. Then, there was the "playing dumb" idea that he was pretty sure wouldn't work, since his dad already knew too much. So, while he scanned the cabinets for more creamer, he decided he would use option #4: the semi-modified truth.

"Well, dad…while I cannot say anything about Ryan's current situation…brotherly code and all…I can tell you that there is a plan in place to get this whole thing resolved."

Sandy glanced at his son, his curiosity peaked by his son's admittance of withholding something from him. Having been a brother himself, he did understand the oath of secrecy that was shared between young men. But, now that he was the parent, was he just supposed to take his son's word for it? He did need to know a few things though…a few questions that could not wait for the resolution to come. Glancing at his watch, Sandy silently cursed himself when he realized he was probably going to be late to meet Kirsten. He had made the reservation at the Arches for 8:00, and as of now, he only had 15 minutes to get there. But, he was getting somewhere with the son who had recently been nothing but morose, so he had to get these answers while the time was right.

Leaning into his son as if people trying to listen in surrounded them, he asked, "I just need to know 2 things. First, what is the real reason that you aren't going to RISD? I just…can't believe that you would give that up so quickly without their being some big reason."

There it was again…the question that everyone seemed to be haunting him with. Seth took a deep breath in, not wanting to explain everything he had just hashed out with Anna a few nights earlier. But, he knew his dad had the right to know. After all, he was the one paying for his college, wasn't he?

"Listen, dad…like I said before, it is really complicated right now. Let's just say…that I need to stay with Ryan…make sure he's alright. I can't go into too much details, but things aren't so good right now for him. Maybe you should talk to…"

Seth then realized what he was saying and that his father probably didn't know about Ryan's cross-continent journey. He mentally kicked himself in the head for letting all these people squirm details out of him. He needed to get out of the house before he let any more secrets loose.

"Seth..you were saying something, and then you trailed off. I think you were suggesting that I go talk to Ryan. Which brings me to my second question…where is he?"

Panicking, Seth did the only reasonable thing that came to his mind at that moment. He bolted upright, slugged down the last of his coffee and promptly left the table.

"Not sure dad…try his cell…gotta run! The comic book store is opening early tomorrow…wanna make sure I have adequate slumber!"

As he clumsily shuffled to get out of the house, he spouted out as little information as he could to placate his father for now. However, he did notice on the way out that Sandy Cohen looked anything but appeased. Seeing his father brushing his suit off in disappointment only fueled Seth's guilt. 'But,' he reminded himself again, 'Ryan would never forgive me.'

After hearing the slamming of the front door, Sandy sighed in confusion. Usually, he could always count on Seth to be the first one to crack when there was a secret involved. But, this time he seemed uncharacteristically resolute. Just at that one moment when he had thought he might crack, something seemed to pull him back into the consequences that he had never really seemed to have regard for in past similar situations. Obviously, he was protecting Ryan. But, from what? Could there really be something at Berkeley that Ryan needed protection from? And, if so, was he really going to find that protection in Seth?

Sandy was reverted back to reality by the ringing of his cell phone. He knew by the ring tone that it was his probably impatient and upset wife on the other end. With everything that had (or more accurately hadn't) occurred between them lately, he knew the last thing he wanted was for their first night out alone to start with a fight.

"Hey honey…I know, I know. I'm just leaving the house now. I'm really sorry…it's not that Kirsten…I just…I have a bad feeling…like the boys aren't telling us that something's wrong. I realize that dear, but I can't just not wonder what's going on. Anyways, I'm leaving now…we'll talk when I get there. I love you too."

Hanging up the phone feeling very confused, Sandy realized that this was one of the first times since Ryan had come to stay with them when he seemed more worried about his whereabouts than Kirsten did. That realization felt very unnatural and curious. He knew these questions would have to be brought up tonight if he was to get any closer to finding out the truth. Chiding himself for doubting his wife although in his mind he knew she had some pieces of information that he didn't, Sandy left the house quickly.

As he drove through the surprisingly misty California night, Sandy couldn't help but wonder what sort of trouble was in store next for his family. The sounds of the faint music playing on the radio station only mildly served to drown out the concerned voices that were permeating through his head. Something was wrong with Ryan…something that both his son and his wife were trying to protect him from finding out about. Sandy pondered, wondering if he had seemed too irritable or focused lately to emit the aura of "I can't be bothered" that he himself used to hate so much when he saw it on the likes of those such as Caleb Nichol.

Pulling up to the front doorway of the Arches, Sandy silently gave his key to the valet while he gave himself one last check before entering through the gold arched doorways. This place had always seemed so comfortable and safe when he had taken Kirsten here over the years; but today, he felt the looming presence of dread. Something within him knew that this was not going to be like every other pleasant, if somewhat mundane dinner dates that he had shared with his wife here.

Spotting her across the room, Sandy's breath hitched in his throat as realized again just how beautiful she was and how much he was still in love with her. He could see a small tear that had escaped her beautiful eye while she tried in vain to quickly wipe it away before anyone noticed. He hoped that he had not been the reason for that tear. As he approached her, he saw her looks of nervousness fade somewhat as she sensed his presence.

"Hey honey," he greeted her softly, gently kissing the top of her head as he slid into the seat next to her.

She politely greeted him back as he took a seat next to her at the table. She had already ordered him a drink, a non-alcoholic beer that he had switched to since her not-so-forgotten stint in rehab. Smoothing her suit down, she pursed her lips, knowing that this conversation was going to be far from pleasant. She had hated lying to him about not knowing where Ryan had been for the last few days, but she was scared that he would not understand her motives. And, with the decision that she had already decided needed to be brought up tonight, she didn't think he would be in the right frame of mind to listen if he was too pre-occupied on Ryan.

"So, I take it that it wasn't a pleasant day at the office by your worried expression? What, Julie set another bored housewife up with an underage hooker?"

Even though the mood was still sobering, Kirsten couldn't help but allow a chuckle to escape her suppressed lips.

"Sandy…come on, you know that isn't funny. We almost got shut down for that," she reminded, remembering Julie's not too distant mistakes that had almost cost them their company.

"I know, honey, I'm just trying to lighten what I can tell will be a serious conversation. I'm sorry."

Kirsten acknowledged her husband's correct assumptions with a nod of her head. As they quickly ordered what had become their "usual" orders, they stole glances at each other every so often. Some glances were curiosity-ridden while others were loving and thoughtful. After the waiter had left them, Kirsten drew in a deep breath and tried to figure out where to begin.

"So, look, Sandy, I know that things have been pretty strained between us lately. And, I want to apologize for acting strangely. I know I have been. But, it's just…that, with Seth and Ryan leaving in another couple of months, I've started the already-daunting process of letting them go. And, it's been hard…harder than I would've thought it would…"

With this, the pain and anguish that Kirsten had been so desperately trying to hide over the past few weeks came to the surface. Sandy instinctively arose from his chair to comfort his saddened wife, pulling her into him gently as she cried silent tears.

"Honey..honey, I know this is all hitting you hard. Believe me when I tell you that it's hard for me, too. But, when times like these arise, we need to hold on to each other."

"I know..I know Sandy, and that's what I'm trying to say," she clarified, wiping her now tear-stained face with her napkin. She sent an imploring look to the man that she had come to depend upon even though she had once promised herself that she would never depend on anyone but herself. Knowing internally that there was no real way to say this except to just put it out there, she inhaled sharply and began. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately…and, I really want to try to have another baby."

The silence lingered for a few moments, clouding the air with a discomfort that both of the pair could sense. Sandy's ever-bushy eyebrows furrowed in surprise, showing to her that he was not expecting that to be what came out of her mouth. Another baby? Was that really what had been plaguing his love's mind for the last few weeks? Seeing the inquisitiveness protruding from her eyes, he knew he had to say something…something that would both assure his wife of where he stood and convey his hesitation at this suggestion.

"Sandy…please, say something. Look, I know I've been kinda distant lately. It's just…well, with Seth and Ryan leaving soon…I've just…I just don't want to feel useless again."

Sandy's heart lurched at her words. How could she, the woman who consistently tackled the always-intimidating Caleb Nichol, think she was useless? He understood that empty-nest syndrome was bound to make a mother long for her children to be young again, but there were so many things that he now saw as possible for them to share once they had the house all to themselves again. Was he being selfish to think that he could have her all to himself?

"And, before you go trying to assure me that we will find things to do without the boys around…it's not that. Really, it isn't. I just…I really never realized how much I wanted another baby. And, the other day, when Ryan came to me and asked me to fund a cross-continent journey of the heart, I found my usual quick-to-judge self actually giving in to him. And, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but it really got me to thinking about how I was going to miss that…miss being someone my kids turn to in time of need."

So, that's where Ryan had gone. Even though Sandy was disappointed in her for keeping that from him for so long, he couldn't help but sympathize with his wife's feelings. A small smile fell on his lips as he tenderly reached for her hands across the table. He soothingly caressed her fingers, paying careful attention to the finger that held her wedding ring. The waiter quietly delivered their meals and tipped off their drinks. Finally, Sandy had figured out what he wanted to say, so he infiltrated the hopeful silence that was lingering between them.

"Listen, honey…I know that things may have seemed strained lately. And, I really feel horrible about being so unavailable. I'm sure it was one of the many things that you didn't miss when I decided to leave the public defense office last time."

Kirsten let out a small chuckle, nodding slightly as she took her first bite of the Turkey Scallopini in front of her. She hadn't had much of an appetite recently, as her mind had been preternaturally occupied. But, hopefully, after this much-needed conversation with her husband, she could finally dislodge the weight that had recently taken residence on her shoulders.

"But, I want you to know that I am fully committed to helping you…us get through this time of change when the boys leave. And…if you really want to do this…to try and have another baby…"

Kirsten subconsciously held her breath for the next part, wishing with all her might that he would agree to her request. Her eyes were solely focused on his; her dinner all but forgotten.

"then, how can I say no to such a beautiful, caring woman?" As he saw his wife breathe a heaping sigh of relief and smile as she leaned across the table to kiss him passionately, he couldn't help but notice how many patrons of the restaurant were sneaking not-so-subtle glances in their direction. One would think he had just proposed or something. " I tell you what…how about we get this dinner to go and go home and get to work on some baby-making?"

Kirsten couldn't help but let out a small giggle at her husband's forwardness. Nodding, she silently agreed to forego the date and get home to some much-needed alone time.

Meanwhile, Morimoto was not doing enough to quench Seth's constant thoughts of her. There was something about Japanese storytelling that only seemed to heighten his lately perpetual somber mood. Man, right about now would be when he would slovenly stumble out to the pool house seeking Ryan's words, or lack thereof, for comfort. But, he couldn't even have that either. So, with no one to hold him back, Seth made a decision. He had to hear her voice…even if all she did was scream at him. He quickly paused the DVD player and leaped towards his cell phone.

"Oh God…please don't pick up…just the voicemail…just the voicemail..." he mumbled to himself as he fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. Then, just as he felt his wishes had been granted, the voice came through on the other line.

"Cohen? Is that you?"

She sounded so scared and forlorn that he almost couldn't take it. It made him feel weighted with guilt to know that he had been the cause of her pain. Still fiddling with his hem, Seth quickly tried to formulate what he wanted to say to her. He hadn't really thought this far ahead.

"Cohen…hello? HELLO?"

There she was…he knew that feisty, rage blackout-prone girl was still in there. Seth knew that he had better say something soon, or she might hang up on him. Sighing internally, he took his shot.

"Summer…" he uttered softly, still needing a few seconds to formulate what he was actually going to say. He knew that after this confirmation that there was no going back. He was going to have to tell her…tell her everything. And, as much as he knew Ryan wouldn't approve, Ryan had to understand how much it was killing him to lie to her, right? After all, he had gone after Marissa….why couldn't Seth do the same?

"Oh, Cohen….it's so good to hear your voice."

Seth could hear her voice struggling not to break down, and it tore his heart into pieces. He had caused this pain…no one else…him. Usually, Summer would hide her sadness under her rage, mostly as a defense mechanism. But, tonight, she was not even trying to hide…maybe Anna was right. Maybe this had really changed her.

"Listen, Summer…I've fought with myself a lot over this…over whether or not to tell you what was going on or not. And, believe me, if there weren't these obligations holding me here, I would be with you in a minute. I do still love you. But, there are things that are going on..."

"With Chino?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.

"Yes…with Ryan. But, I just can't leave him at Berkeley alone. It's not safe. I hope you can understand that."

Not safe? What could he possibly mean by that? Who would want to hurt Ryan? Summer thought for a moment…maybe Trey, but last she knew he had hitched a ride to Vegas, maybe it was Oliver, but she thought that since Marissa was overseas that even if he had managed to escape that mental institution he was in, he wouldn't come looking for Ryan. That only left one person in her mind: Volchek.

"Is it Volchek?"

By the stunned silence that inhabited the other end of the phone Summer knew she was right.

"Look, Cohen, I know that you're trying to be a noble and caring brother…I do…but, if Volchek really is out to hurt Ryan, what do you really think you're going to accomplish? I don't mean to sound mean…but, come on."

Seth stifled a smile. Even though he could have taken offense to her words, he knew that she was right. If Volchek was really out to hurt Ryan, which he whole-heartedly believed that he was, what good was he really going to do? Could he really stop Volchek? There was that one time when he and Ryan had gone to rescue the _Risky Business_ egg, and he had come through that time. But, did that one time really outweigh all the times that his inability to be a wingman had proven itself?

"Look, I know you're right. And, believe, it's not anything that I haven't said to myself multiple times. But…I mean, do you really think that I would want to be away from you if I had any choice in the matter? I just…I just…can't not do ANYTHING."

Summer stayed silent. They were finally talking the way that they had needed to for so long. But, now that she was getting the answers that had plagued her sleepless nights for so long, was she really going to be able to change his mind? Ryan must really need him. But, what for? Why was Volchek so angry with….then it dawned on her. MARISSA! Maybe there was something Marissa could do to get this all settled. She hated thinking that she would have to disturb her best friend's much-needed getaway, but this was serious business. Summer couldn't bear another day without him.

"Summer?" Seth posited, hoping that she was still on the line.

"Yeah, I was just thinking. Look, I have an idea. I have to go for now, but when you talk to Ryan, tell him that everything will be taken care of soon enough. I love you, Cohen….and even though it's against my better judgement…I understand and forgive you for all of this. You just wanted to help the brother that's watched out for you so many times….I get it. Gotta go!"

Before Seth could interject his return at her affection, she had hung up. Although he was worried about the repercussions that telling her would inevitably cause, he was so happy that she had forgiven him and that they were now on their way back to being happy, he didn't care at that moment. He also didn't care that his parents had just arrived back home and were haphazardly taking off their clothes on their way upstairs. He just smiled and fell blissfully asleep for the first time in weeks.


	18. My Big, Fat, Greek Misunderstanding

Wow! Thanks for all the love, people! You make me really want to put my best foot forward as far as this writing thing goes. I love you all, and keep up the love! You're the best! Here's the chapter I know has been looming. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter XVIII: My Big, Fat, Greek Misunderstanding

Marissa couldn't help but enjoying herself. After all, it wasn't every day that she got to be escorted around Athens by as charming a man as Paolo. She could sense that he had really put some thought and effort into this excursion, and she hoped that he wouldn't be disappointed in the end. But, trying to block that thought out of her mind for the moment, Marissa decided instead to focus on the breathtaking Greek architecture and scenery. The buildings held such a rich history in them; it was nothing like the homogenized California skyscrapers. Here, everyone relished the imperfections and the embraced the flaws of ancient human design. This was a place that any true architecture buff would enjoy.

Ryan…how could her thoughts not drift to him when she wished he could be here to share this with her? No matter how hard Paolo tried or even how cute he sometimes looked basked in just the moonlight, it was never enough to truly get her thoughts away from Ryan. She knew that eventually she was going to have to talk to him, but it seemed like the longer that they waited, the harder it made it.

"So, what do you think you of Athens?" Paolo posited, grabbing her hand to guide her across the street. He tugged subconsciously with his other hand at a hanging thread on his blue and white print-screen t-shirt. He hadn't told Marissa about how long it had taken him to decide exactly what he wanted to wear for this hopefully momentous evening. Now, looking over at her as she breezed effortlessly, gracefully around this foreign city, he couldn't help but chide himself for choosing too casual of a look for the occasion. Surely all of Athens could see that she was far too magnanimous for him. He couldn't help but feel proud to be walking around this beautiful city with such a beautiful girl. Everything was going perfectly to plan, and, with any luck, he would get her to be his girlfriend by the end of the night.

"I think…this is exactly what I needed. Thank you so much Paolo," she replied as they rounded another corner and made their way into the restaurant. She gave his hand an encouraging squeeze; although she made sure not to squeeze too hard for fear that she may be leading him on.

As they were entering the lobby, Paolo began to speak in Greek to the hostess. Marissa felt the vibration of her cell phone in her favorite green and white Ballenciaga purse that she got two weeks ago on a stop in Rome. She knew from "The Valley" ringbone that it was Summer calling her. But, wasn't it the middle of the night back in the States?

"Hey Sum…isn't it a bit late for a gossip session?" she laughed, nodding for Paolo to go ahead and be seated while she finished the call. He returned the nod in understanding, and gave her a smile as he quietly followed the hostess into the dining room.

"Hey Coop…I know you're probably busy, but I needed to talk to you. It's about Ryan."

At the mention of his name, Marissa felt the butterflies that never fully ceased to exist inside of her stomach return to catch in her throat. It was common knowledge that Marissa and Summer would avoid the topic of Seth and Ryan, unless Summer made a comment about how she wanted to castrate Seth for doing what he did to her. They were both trying to move on with their lives…yet, even at the mention of one of their names, neither girl could help but to feel the pain all over again.

"Is he okay, Sum?"

Summer could tell by the background noise that Marissa was not in the best place to talk about this. But, it really couldn't wait any longer. Marissa turned her back towards the dining hall and took a few steps out towards the front door. Through the crowd, she was having a hard time hearing. She pulled the phone closer to her ear and cupped her other ear to try and hear better.

"No…no he's not. Where are you? Are you at work?"

"No..not really. I'm actually…kinda…taking the night off."

She didn't want to outright admit that she was on a date, her first since she had left Ryan almost 4 months ago. But, she had mentioned Paolo to Summer several times, and Summer knew that there might be some potential there for Marissa to even be mentioning another guy.

"Oh…and, you aren't alone, are you?"

"No," Marissa replied guiltily.

"Look, Coop. You have nothing to feel guilty about. It's been months since you have even talked to Ryan. You have every right to try to move on with your life. But, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Listen, I found out why Cohen is staying in California…he finally caved and called me."

Summer couldn't contain the happiness in her voice at the thought that Seth had finally let her in. She turned over in her bed to look at the picture of the two of them that she had gleefully replaced on her nightstand. However, she knew that once Marissa knew the real reason, there was the potential that it could get back to Seth, and then it could start their whole vicious cycle of not trusting each other all over again. But, her best friend deserved to know.

"That's great, Summer. I'm really happy for you. But, I still don't understand what this has to do with Ryan."

At this time, Paolo stuck his head around the corner to check on Marissa. He had waited at the table, ordering two waters for them from the waiter. Marissa quickly mouthed to him "Summer", and he nodded again in understanding. However, this time he chose to linger in the lobby and wait for Marissa to finish. He couldn't shake the nagging feeling that tonight was not going to turn out the way he envisioned it would in his head.

Marissa continued waiting for her best friend's response after she saw Paolo leave again. She was beginning to get a little impatient…whatever was up with Ryan, should that really be important enough for her to spoil her previously pleasant evening out with Paolo? She instantly regretted wondering that question once she heard Summer's weak voice.

"It's Volchek, Marissa."

The name that Marissa had surprisingly pushed to the back of her thoughts came racing back through her mind, bringing along with it all of the wounds that had been reopened during their confrontation at the airport. But, if it was about Volchek, then what did Ryan have to….oh…oh God. At that moment, Marissa realized that while she was here enjoying herself in another country, Volchek was surely making good on his promise to pay Ryan back for whatever he thought he was due.

"What about him? Summer, what happened?"

"Listen, Coop, I don't know all the details. But, I do know that one day I went over to Ryan's…right after Seth had told me he was staying in California…and, his face was covered with cuts and bruises. I wasn't sure what had happened, and he didn't exactly offer me any info. But, apparently, Volchek found a way to get to him…and may be planning to do it again. I wanted to tell you…but, then I thought to myself…should I be the reason her new life is brought down? I didn't want….I didn't want to do that to you."

Summer was on the verge of tears, trying desperately to hide them from her best friend. But, there would be no such luck, as Marissa could hear that tone in her voice that gave her away.

"Summ…I'm not mad at you. You didn't know what was going on any more than I did. But, God only knows what Volchek could have done to him. I have to call him…get this whole thing cleared up. Thanks for calling me Summ. You really are my best friend. I love you. Gotta run."

Before Summer got a chance to go into further detail, her best friend had hung up the phone on her. She inwardly sighed in relief that she hadn't had to tell her the one thing that she knew was going to turn Marissa's world upside down, that Caitlyn was living with Volchek and was probably having sex with him. Ugh…even the thought of it grossed her out. Summer shivered in her bed, wondering what it would be like to have a sister that would do something like that to her. Well, she guessed that technically as soon as her father married Julie, she would know what that was like. 'That scandalous bitch better keep her hands off Cohen,' she thought to herself before turning off her lamp and snuggling into her covers to sleep.

Her head began to spin….this explains so much. Why Ryan hadn't called her, why Seth suddenly decided to stay in California. She couldn't rake herself of the guilt that had crept into the pit of her stomach. The whole idea that Volchek was hurting Ryan immediately enraged her. Maybe that was why Ryan hadn't called her…he didn't want her to find out about what had been going down during her absence. He wanted to protect her. Yep…that sounded right up Ryan's alley.

Although she knew that it was still really late on the west coast, Marissa could not put it off any longer. Paolo would just have to understand. She flipped through her phone's address book quickly, hoping that Paolo would not come back again to check on her nonappearance. Maybe he would just order for her….right now, food was the last thing she wanted to think about. Finding the number that she was looking for, Marissa pressed the button automatically before she had any chance to let second thoughts overcome her decision.

When she heard the distinctive ringbone that matched the one of the lover that had haunted her dreams for so many weeks, she subconsciously followed the sound to see a face that she couldn't believe she was seeing. No…no way…it couldn't be. At that moment, he caught her eye, his eyes widened at the realization he wasn't going to have the opportunity to prepare what he was going to say to her. This was it…all these months of hoping, wishing; it was all happening now.

"Ryan?"


	19. Fuel to the Fire

Hello everyone! Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter…I knew that would get a few responses. I lost my fic from my work computer, so I'm so sorry for the delay, but I had to re-write it and save to my external hd. You know how I love cliffhangers and to skip around in the lives of our favorite troublemakers, so here's a chapter on Volchek.

Chapter IXX: Fuel to the Fire

Volchek was awake at 3:33A.M. This was a highly unusual scenario, however, this time there were no substances assisting him in this feat. Just thoughts…of Marissa, of how he was going to lure Caitlyn back, of how he was going to exact his plan on Atwood if he couldn't even find out where he was hiding for the past few days. The last thought did provide him some comfort in that if he could not locate Ryan, which must mean his threats had gotten to him. Now, he just had to position his players into the right circumstances, and he would get exactly what he wanted without the fingers coming to point at him.

The key here was Caitlyn; he had to figure out where she had been staying for the past few nights, and how he could get in touch with her when she was obviously screening her calls. He figured that one of the ways he could assure her that he wasn't on her mom's payroll was to use the money Julie gave him to buy something for her. Mainly, he decided to buy things that would decorate the loft with many of the girly touches that Caitlyn seemed to like. He hated it, but he would have to stand it for the time being. Stubbing out the cigarette that he was dangling from his mouth, Volchek studied his new acquisitions with curiosity.

First, he had gone through his place, begrudgingly ridding it of his hidden porn stash and random girls' phone numbers, which he didn't technically throw away, but just placed in a safe spot. He replaced the numerous empty alcohol bottles and makeshift ashtrays with incense burners and candles, thus removing most of the "stank" that Caitlyn always complained about. Hoping that she would be cognizant of the effort, he plopped down on the couch and surveyed his home makeover. Smiling with amusement, he realized that he had gone out of his normal ways more for the Cooper girls than he ever had for any other girl in his life.

Well, except for Veronica. But, once she was gone, there had been no reason to think that any light or happiness could creep its' way back into his life. If there had been one ray of hope in his teenage years, it had been her. She had been devastatingly beautiful, with long light brown hair and even longer legs. The way that she nervously bit at her index fingernail drove him so mad with desire that he used to keep his surfboard firmly planted in front of him so as to not reveal to her how much everything she did turned him on. She was the only girl that Volchek had ever let fully into his world, into his heart. And, when she had died so suddenly, so tragically, it had taken him years to even begin to function without her.

Maybe that was what had drawn him to Marissa in the first place…her uncanny resemblance to the girl that had been pulled away from him too soon. He knew from the first moment that he saw her; he knew that she had to be his. He had to make his past mistakes right. But, things were different now. Where before there had only been pure intentions and innocent declarations of love, now there were drug-fueled sexcapades and the ever-present ex-boyfriend. Everything had gotten so fucked up, and too many people had not kept their noses out of it, and now, he was settling for the third-string quarterback in Caitlyn. Yes, if he squeezed his eyes shut really tight, she did feel like Veronica. But, she would never be Veronica, and the realization of that had sent him into a rage-fueled plan to get back at everyone who had ever hurt him. He wanted to kill that drunk who had run his beloved off the road, and the father that had abandoned him as a child, and the love of his life who had left him behind. They were all going to pay once this was over.

As he opened his eyes, he heard the distinct sound of his phone ringing. He hadn't bothered to fuck with all those personalized ringtones that people seemed to rely on, but instead, he relished the shrill sound of his alarm-clock style ringer. He picked up, not recognizing the number that shone across the screen.

"Who is this?" he cracked, forgoing patience as he figured that anyone who was calling him at this time of night must not have good news.

"Well, well…is someone getting a little restless without their nighttime lovin'?"

Volchek perked up at the surprisingly pleasant voice on the other end of the phone. She had called back; things were looking up. Wiping his eyes, Volchek tried to contain the smile hidden on his face. Things were definitely looking up.

"Well, well…if it isn't little miss disappearing act herself? To what do I owe this pleasure, princess?"

Caitlyn shrugged her shoulders, not realizing that she could not be seen. The silence that stood between them was deafening enough that she felt the need to fill it with some sort of reassurance, even though at that moment she was far from assured that everything was going to be alright.

"Oh…you know…just the old standard booty call, I guess."

His eyes widened at the thought of a Cooper girl once again lying underneath him. Despite his most persistent urges to hold himself back, when it came to sex, he knew that the Cooper women had gotten under his skin. Although they were different in their approach, he could remember the familiar uncertainty that resounded with both Marissa and Caitlyn. Most of the girls he had been with before had been very assured and sometimes even arrogant, but not them. They both were decidedly delicate in that way, and it was something that made it hard for him to forget. So, pondering what his next words should be, Volchek couldn't help but to let a small moan escape his lips as the imagery overtook him.

"Volchek….take a breath. I had no idea you missed me so much," she remarked, no longer disguising the amusement she took in hearing his yearning for her.

"Well, you know me…always a sucker for the late-night sex. So, how quick can you get here? I did plan a little sumpin' just in case you called."

Caitlyn raised her eyebrow in curiosity. Deciding that she should end the charade, she boldly knocked on the door, announcing to him that she had indeed been just outside his door the whole time. She checked her late-night attire, seemingly pleased with the teal tube top that she had snagged from Summer's closet before she left and her cropped white chinos. Her confident smirk was replaced by the nervous twitch that she always got when she saw him. As he opened the door, he slipped out through the narrowest of cracks before closing the door and leaving them both out in the hallway.

"What? So, now you're into the sex in public places…thought we'd already conquered that mountain?" she quipped, crossing her arms across her chest.

Volchek took in her appearance. She looked so innocent tonight that it brought a smile to his face. Maybe she wouldn't always be the third-string quarterback…maybe there was more to Caitlyn then a girl wanting to show off how cool she was all the time. Maybe there was really hope for another one like Veronica….maybe…

"Earth to Volchek? Are you gonna let me come in, or do I need to turn around so your other fuck-buddy can exit without incident?"

Maybe not. Volchek shook his head, hoping to clear those dangerous thoughts from overtaking his current plan of action. Revenge…yes, that's what he wanted. And, he couldn't let flirty tube tops and late-night booty calls get in the way. He was going to have to put his best foot forward tonight…play into exactly the role that she wanted him to be.

"Sorry…I just, I wanted you to be surprised. Come on…but close your eyes, and no peaking!"

Ushering her inside the house, he checked several times to make sure that Caitlyn was keeping good on her promise to keep her eyes closed. Surveying the room one last time, he smiled triumphantly as he nudged her to open her eyes.

She obliged, sharply inhaling a breath at the sight before her. This was definitely not what she had expected when he told her he had something planned. She had been thinking more along the lines of White Zinfandel instead of his perpetual favorite Milwaukee's Best. Maybe even some Rachel Yamagata or Lacuna Coil instead of the usual Bad Company or Styx. But, this…this was a cold day in hell indeed. For Volchek to transform his prototypical bachelor pad into this…something had to be up.

Taking care to commit every flower and candle to memory in case this was a one-time only event, Caitlyn couldn't hide the smile that was forming. She narrowed her eyes pointedly at him.

"Well, someone was a little confident in their abilities to entice young, impressionable girls back into their life. Or, does your new fuck-buddy like the whole "Notebook" fantasy? 'Cause personally, me, myself, I always went for the brooding, angry "Fight Club" look."

Volchek slipped over to her side, wrapping a protective arm around her waist. If he didn't know better, he would think that all this frilly girl décor had turned Caitlyn off. But, he knew that deep down inside, no matter how much Caitlyn wanted to be viewed as the tough, street girl, she really just wanted the old-fashioned American dream romance like every other girl did.

"Oh, come on babe. I know there's a little of that closet romantic in there somewhere. But, psst…," he motioned for her to come closer, as if he had some big secret to reveal, "I won't tell anyone if you don't. It can be our little secret."

Caitlyn leaned over and kissed him sweetly. This was a revelation…Volchek being sweet, thinking of someone other than himself. She wrapped her arms around his neck to intensify the kiss. He groaned softly against her lips as his arms snaked behind her back, grabbing her butt and pulling her closer against him. Now it was Caitlyn's turn to stifle a moan as she let his tongue wander inside her mouth. After a few minutes of intense making out, she pulled away slightly to look into his eyes.

"Thank you…you're right. This does mean a lot to me."

Volchek smiled with relief that his plan was seemingly falling right into place.

"I just…I wanted to say that I'm sorry…for what happened with your mom. That woman can be quite persuasive," he concluded with an arching of his left eyebrow.

"Tell me about it…just promise me that you won't pull a Mrs. Robinson on me….cause, seriously…she's nothing but trouble."

She scanned his eyes for some sort of signal of his true intentions. From the beginning, she had known Volchek to have no qualms about double-dipping in the family pools. And, he hadn't made any excuses for his crude behavior at the time. So, why did she hope that he didn't plan on triple-dipping with her mom? Could it be that she had gotten herself to feel something for him? She knew it could never end well, but her heart hadn't listened to her mind.

"Come on…you know me? Always the rebellious type," he smirked with mischievousness in his eyes that Caitlyn could only hope was to taunt her. "But…you also know that I don't bow down to anyone…even bitches with large bank accounts."

Caitlyn allowed the suppressed grin that she could no longer hold back to surface. He was telling the truth…he wasn't someone who could be bought. And, she really liked that about him. Snaking her arms around his neck, she pulled him in for a kiss. He responded to her advances by grabbing her up by the ass and wrapping her lean legs tightly around him. Guiding them to the bedroom, he dropped her lightly onto his bed. God, she really did look a lot like Veronica tonight. Sometimes even more so than Marissa. She had that fearlessness of him that reminded him so much of his lost love…it turned him on in that moment, and before he knew it, they had stripped each other of their nagging clothes and were ready to make up properly.

Volchek began to drop his head down to place kisses down her exposed stomach. Trembling slightly from the uncharacteristic tenderness he was showing her, Caitlyn couldn't help but love this new side of him. Fueling her desire was his clear intentions to spread her legs and give her the climax that she had been desperately missing for these past few weeks.

"Oh…that's it…oh God," she moaned as he expertly gave her everything that she craved.

Everything was going to plan, and Volchek would soon have his insider to get everything in place to enact the final revenge on Atwood. Just the thought that all of his plans were falling into place made Volchek erect with excitement. He was going to get back at everyone who had ever hurt him through this…at everyone who had left him. As he proceeded to wipe her juices from his mouth, he grinned in anticipation, nudging Caitlyn's already-quivering legs apart. Entering slowly, he felt the warmth that had so long eluded him after Veronica's death. For a moment, he could almost see her sun-kissed hair blowing in the twilight…for a moment…

"Oh God, Veronica…" he uttered so low that he wasn't even sure that it had slipped out. But, by the look on Caitlyn's face, she definitely had heard him. Retracting with a jolt that could only be compared to a full-force, head-on collision, she scanned his eyes for any admittance of guilt over what he had just done. Who the hell was Veronica? All of these seemingly noble gestures now felt dirty and cheap. Her eyes could no longer control the onslaught of tears that threatened to fall, and she hurriedly rushed from the bed to seek refuge in the bathroom.

Volchek wished that he had a superpower that could allow him to go back in time and change this moment. He was sure Veronica was looking down on this one laughing at him. But, at this time, a smile was the last thing he needed. And, judging by Caitlyn's reaction, his plan was about to need some major re-formulating.


	20. What are you doing here? Pt 1

Hello everyone

Hey my awesome readers! Thanks for sticking with me and this story. I appreciate and would love comments from you all. Nice to know that The O.C. hasn't died in the hearts of the loyal fans! I debated on whether to move over to another character storyline, but then I figured that it would be better to wait on that and instead give all my awesome readers what they've been begging for. Beware: I am not a writer who looks for the easy solutions, so don't expect a happy reunion. Coming up in the next few chapters: Caitlyn returns home with a taste for revenge lingering in her mouth, the Cohen's enjoy their breakfast show and tell, Julie's consumption attracts attention, Volchek scrambles for a new plan.

Chapter XX: What are you doing here? Pt. 1

There had to have been something in the water she had drunken earlier. It had to be…because she couldn't really be seeing what she thought she was, could she? Ryan…here…in Greece. And, it looked like he wasn't alone. Someone was walking towards the table…a woman…she looked a little like…Hailey? Marissa couldn't contain the look of sheer mystification on her face. What in the hell was going on here?

"Ma..Marissa…" he stuttered, knee slamming hard into the table as he hurriedly got to his feet. Why had she been calling him? Sheltering his soon-to-be bruised knee, he stood up. Out of all the times she could have picked to call him during these last few months…she picks now? And, if the look on her face was telling the truth…he could tell that she was not alone either. No, she was definitely here with someone. That would have to explain her frantically looking around for an unidentified person. Maybe she was here with…her…fiancé. Just even playing those words into his head forced him to re-ingest the bile that involuntarily rose to the back of his throat.

Taking in her appearance, Ryan's breath strained itself to exhale out. She still could literally take his breath away. It was her effortless style, wearing a tight black tank top with little mirrors all over it and a pair of white True Religion skinny jeans with a thin green belt, that really got to him. If it was even possible, she had grown sexier during her time away, gaining a little muscle in her upper body and letting her hair grow out. In this environment, it seemed like Marissa was truly able to be herself and not worry about what all her mother's Newpsie friends would say if she showed up somewhere without perfectly manicured fingernails. That laid-back imperfection really suited her.

He looked up to meet her questioning eyes, his sparkling brilliant blue eyes noticing the light that always seemed to come whenever she looked at him. That gave him a little bit of hope to see that she still seemed to respond to him. His glare seared her to the core, bombarding her with all of the pent-up uncertainty, fear, love, and relief she herself had felt during her realization that they were again in each other's presence.

Now, it was Marissa's turn to intake everything about the boy that had been the subject of so many of her thoughts over these past few months. He still looked pretty much the same, standing there somewhat awkwardly fiddling with the sleeves of his pullover black and white hooded sweatshirt. She generously allowed herself time to catalogue every inch of his body that she had sorely missed. He was shifting quite haphazardly from one foot to the other, and the cavernous circles under his eyes led her to believe that he hadn't been sleeping very well either. It brought a strange comfort to her to know that she was not the only one who suffered from a broken heart.

"Hey Marissa," Hailey interjected, hoping to break the thick tension that hung in the air like a heavy morning fog.

Marissa's eyes broke from Ryan's to take in Hailey's form. She looked like she was on vacation, donning a simple white ¾ length knit top and a long, yet almost sheer white and blue floral sarong with matching blue strappy sandals that wrapped up to her mid-calf. She looked absolutely beautiful, but rightfully pensive at the current situation. The look she was giving Ryan seemed to suggest an intimacy that immediately worried her. What were they doing here together? Could they be here tog…no, no way. That couldn't be it. Although, judging by the way events had already unfolded today, Marissa was not counting any options out.

"You're probably wondering what we're doing here together…in Greece. You look like you have a lot of questions. Would you like to sit and eat with us?"

Briefly remembering that someone was probably getting a little impatient with her disappearing act, she hesitated to oblige Hailey's request. But, soon enough, that thought was gone as his eyes once again invaded all her conscious thoughts, silently begging her to stay and hear him out. And, with that, her decision was made. Paolo could wait. She nodded, pulling out one of the open chairs next to Ryan. So many unspoken questions lingered in the air, not knowing who should start first. Ryan glanced desperately to Hailey, trying to convey that he was not at all prepared for this surprising twist of events. They had come here to map out what they were going to say when confronted…but, now, this was all happening too quickly. He tried breathing deeply…that had helped during the plane ride. But, there was no way that he could concentrate on anything other than his lost love looking so stunning tonight.

"Okay…so, I guess I should start first. So, I'm sure you remember Marissa, that I called your father a few weeks ago?" she signaled to Marissa, who nodded in accord at the memory, "Well, what I didn't tell you that morning was that I had been thinking about Jimmy so much in the past few months…wondering if I had made the biggest mistake of my life when I left for Japan. Honestly, the questions ate at me all the time. And, then, when I saw the missed call…I guess, a little flicker of hope shined."

Interested in hearing more, Marissa nodded her head. As she took in Hailey's words, she quickly dispelled any worries about Ryan and Hailey being here together romantically. She could observe the emotion pouring from Hailey's eyes as she went on to admit that she had followed her gut instinct and decided to come to Greece and find Jimmy in hopes that he was feeling the same loneliness without her as she was without him. A kindred sense of understanding overtook her as she realized that Hailey's situation was not too far removed from her own with Ryan. Ryan…she still didn't know what he was doing here.

"…and, so, I'm hoping for some kind of sign. And, then, as I'm getting off the plane, I run into someone…literally."

Ryan ducks his head down as he lets a small smile creep across his face. It was only a few hours ago that he was dreaming of this moment, and now it was coming to fruition. Right now, he was so happy to have Hailey here…explaining what he knew he couldn't. Silently thanking Hailey for inheriting Caleb's type A personality, Ryan focused again on Marissa…still not fully able to comprehend that she was actually here, and listening. What was she doing here? He had thought that she would be working, that she wouldn't have any time to see the local sites, that she definitely wouldn't have any time to talk to him. But, there must be a God, because right now, even though it wasn't in his desired time frame, he was getting his opportunity to set things straight.

At this moment, the waiter arrived with their food. Setting down two plates of authentic Greek fare, he quickly refilled their water glasses and insisted they enjoy their meals. When he noticed they had another occupant at the table, he offered to take her order. However, Marissa politely declined, assuring him that she was fine for now. It seemed that hunger was the last thing on these three people's minds right now. Well, maybe not Hailey, as she seemed very eager to dive into her plate, leaving Ryan and Marissa to fill in the pieces of the story she had left out.

"So…" Ryan muttered softly, hoping that Hailey would continue on with the story. But, realizing that Hailey's mouth was too busy enjoying all the culinary goodness that Athens had to offer, he knew this part was up to him. Turning to face his chair to her, he took another deep breath and slowly navigated himself through the speech that he had practiced countless times in his head, hoping to sound as natural as possible and to not leave anything out due to his increasing nervousness. "Look, I know that it's been a while since we last spoke," he began, "and, I really wanted to tell you how sorry I am for the way things went at the airport. I…I should have told you about Sadie…it's just, she never meant as much to me as you. No one could ever…"

Just as Ryan was about to divulge his inner feelings, he sensed another presence in the conversation, an unwelcome one. Looking over Marissa's right shoulder, he took in the sight of a young man eavesdropping on their exchange. He was looking right into Ryan's eyes, shooting knowing daggers of distrust and apprehension. Ryan subconsciously knew once he saw the look of possessiveness in this guy's eyes that he must be the dreaded fiancé, yet another man that was threatening to come between them. Marissa quickly sensed his presence and turned in her seat to confirm exactly what she was afraid would happen.

"Marissa, honey, I've been waiting for you for almost twenty minutes. I ordered for you, and it's getting cold. What's going on? Do you know these people?"

Marissa couldn't help but to feel a pang of guilt as she took in Paolo's worried expression. Truthfully, she had almost forgotten that he was still waiting for her once she saw Ryan. But, it now appeared that this momentous expunging that she and Ryan were yet again one step away from was going to have to be put on hold while she tended to this other issue. Rising from her seat, Marissa ushered Paolo away from the table, as Ryan and Hailey curiously kept quiet. As soon as they were out of sight, Marissa took Paolo by the hand, trying to form the words in her mind to make what she was about to say as painless and understood as possible.

"Paolo, I am so sorry for leaving you hanging like that. I would never do that on purpose, I hope you know."

Paolo nodded his head in reassurance, and she continued.

"The answer to your question is yes…I do know those people. They are here from California, and they were looking for me."

Paolo knew where this was heading; he knew that the man sitting in the chair had to be Ryan. Marissa only got the look of pained foreboding in her eyes whenever he was mentioned, and, judging by the hopefully still-secret conversation that he and Ryan had exchanged earlier that week, it looked like his next course of action needed to be well-choreographed in order to keep the two of them appearing as though they were an engaged couple.

"Oh, well that is quite the coincidence, isn't it darling? I would love to meet them and introduce myself to them. I'm sure you've mentioned the tall, dark, irresistible man that has had the pleasure of your company over the last months, haven't you?"

Marissa smiled shyly, trying to cover up the fact that she in fact hadn't told Hailey or Ryan about him. She didn't know of any other way to state the truth, so she decided that it would be best to just be as upfront as possible with him about it. He had to know how important Ryan was to her; she had spoken of him often enough. But, she knew that when he realized that his intentions for a romantic evening were no longer going to come to fruition, she wasn't sure how he would react. She prayed at that moment that he would not hate her for doing this.

"Listen, Paolo, I don't really know how to tell you this…but, the guy…the one sitting at the table…that's Ryan."

Paolo did his best to feign shock at this revelation, all the while formulating his next move. Once he assured himself that his decided next move was the most logical way to go, he sprung into action.

"Oh…and, he brought his new girlfriend here with him? What a bastard!"

"No…Paolo, that's no…" she tried to interject, but Paolo was determined to not allow the truth to cloud his plan.

"Oh, honey…say no more. Let me handle this," he continued, the encouragement hoping to convey a sense of strength that he would handle this potential threat to their perfect evening out, and that they could still continue on with aforementioned plans as scheduled. Grabbing her firmly by the wrist, he dragged her back to Ryan and Hailey's table, the fury building behind his eyes not going unnoticed by the two parties at the table.

"Look, RYAN," he emphasized, seeking to intimidate him, "I don't know what kind of manners they teach over there in America, but, here, in Greece, bringing your new girlfriend to flaunt around in front of your old girlfriend, who, by the way pined over you endlessly for months," Paolo exclaimed, inwardly patting himself on the back as he noticed the guilty look of resignation take over Ryan's face.

As other patrons began to take heed of the impending argument that was quickly brewing, Marissa acknowledged the need to hastily put an end to this misunderstanding.

"No, Paolo…let me fi,"

"No, Marissa…I won't have you sit here and be dragged into this unnecessary drama anymore! You are too good of a person and have spent too much effort trying to distance yourself from all of this to be brought back into this childishness for one more second!"

At this point, there was no denying that they had become the focus of the restaurant, with many patrons conspicuously putting their private conversations on hold to watch the drama unfold. Several of them flashed knowing glances at Marissa, seemingly comprehending what was happening despite the language barrier. However, Marissa did not share in their understanding, as the look of shock permeated across her face, and she was rendered momentarily speechless. What had gotten into the typically mild-mannered guy that had so many nights tried to justify Ryan's actions and defend him? Could he really just be trying to protect her from getting hurt? That thought further facilitated her silence, as she silently appreciated having someone stand up for her, even if his facts weren't entirely straight. At least he was showing that he could and would defend her if things turned badly.

Turning to gauge Ryan's reaction to this bizarre turn of events, she could barely attempt to brace herself for what she was sure was going to turn into a physical confrontation. By the look in Ryan's eyes, a look that she had become very familiar with over the years, she knew that she needed to get Paolo out of there before something more serious happened. And, as much as she needed answers from him right now, she couldn't risk either of them getting arrested, or hurt.

"Paolo...Paolo," she reiterated, grabbing him by the shoulder and forcing his heated gaze to return to her, "Will you please wait outside, just for a minute? I'll be right out."

Relief coursed through her body when Paolo's steely demeanor softened at her words. Wordlessly, he nodded his head, kissed her tentatively on the cheek, and left the restaurant, casting one last menacing look at Ryan on the way out. Marissa returned her attention to Ryan, whose stoic manner she knew was barely concealing a myriad of emotions behind it. Her eyes began to glaze as she realized that once again she and Ryan's attempt to come clean with each other and start anew had been thwarted. Were they ever going to get a break?

"Ryan, listen, I'm sorry for that. I apologize for his behavior. He was only trying to protect me."

Taking in a deep breath to hopefully quench his need for calming down, Ryan stared deeply into his love's eyes, praying that he didn't find love for this other man in them. Satisfied when she didn't back down from his intense staring session, he pulled his eye's away and quickly scanned the crowded restaurant that still seemed quite enthralled with this turn of events. Several customers uncomfortably turned their attentions back to their own table, while others unabashedly continued their focus on the outcome of their situation. Ryan decided that this would be better suited to a private audience, so he gestured for her to follow him towards the restroom area. She assented, nodding towards the correct location once she recognized that he didn't have any clue where he was leading them.

Once silently agreeing on a final landing spot, the staring contest resumed. Ryan was finding it more and more difficult to stay mad with her as he pored the depths of her ocean blue eyes, finding anticipated emotions, such as regret, frustration, and fear, looming not to far below the surface. But, what he hadn't predicted to discover were other emotions, like relief, anticipation, and love, radiating back at him. How could love still be shining through her eyes when Paolo was waiting just outside? Was she in love with both of them? How could she agree to marry someone else if she was still in love with him? He needed answers to these questions, sooner as opposed to later. And, he knew he wasn't going to get them unless he started asking.

"Riss, what's going on? I know that I have no right to come in here and expect that you have put your whole life on hold while I was back in the States. But, you're moving on….so soon. I mean, haven't you learned from your past mistakes?"

Marissa instinctually shook her head, hoping to negate this confusion before it had any more chance to manifest.

"No, Ryan…it's not like that. Paolo and I…we're just friends. I mean, well, tonight was actually supposed to be our first date…according to him. But, I just…I didn't have the heart to tell him that…I just don't see him like that. It's NOT like that…I swear. Look, I don't know what you have been doing since I left…except for obviously NOT calling me, but, I can promise you that I HAVE learned from my past mistakes, and that I am not rushing into anything or anybody else. All I have been doing is work, work, work….that's it."

Then, remembering that she had no need to justify herself to him anymore, especially not when he was evidently trying to bait her by suggesting she was still the "same ole fucked-up Marissa", she abandoned her defensive position and struck out on a offensive front.

"And, besides….even if I was, that still would be none of your business. You know, you're such a fucking hypocrite. You come in here acting all high and mighty, acting like I'm still that same girl that needed you to rescue her, without even taking a moment to call me and ask me. You know, if anyone here hasn't learned from their past mistakes, it's YOU. You come in here and start with the same, old broody Ryan who has to be restrained from getting into a fight with a COMPLETE STRANGER before you even know what's going on. How do you know that he wasn't a client…or a ship vendor. You didn't…you just assumed you knew what was up when you obviously didn't. Same old Ryan."

She furrowed her eyebrows in disdain as she took a minute to calm herself down. She knew this line of accusations was getting them nowhere, and they both had other people waiting on their return, so she decided to cut this short, for now, and continue this later, once they'd had some time to digest what had just happened and cool down a little. Too bad Ryan was just getting started.

"Oh, so what, you have changed. Obviously, since now you're resorting to outright lying to my face. You know, I did try to call you Riss," he admitted, noticing the surprise in her eyes as she took in this apparently new piece of information, "and, guess who answered?! YOUR FIANCE, PAOLO!"

The shock on her turned to utter confusion at the mention of Paolo again as her fiancé. There was no way that Paolo would answer her phone like that, was there? That wasn't the Paolo she knew. But, then again, she hadn't ever thought Oliver was the kind of guy who would obsessively stalk and repeatedly sabotage her relationship, but he was. Could it be that maybe she just wasn't that great of a judge of character?

"And then, he proceeded to inform me that he knew ALL about me. I'm sure he was there to wipe away your tears, huh? You didn't even give me a chance to explain before you booked it all the way across the country and found solace in the arms of yet another man. It's the same story over and over, Marissa, and I came here to keep you from making the biggest mistake of your life. Do you really think marrying him will help you to forget about us?"

That question hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity before Marissa finally found the voice to reply.

"Look, Ryan, I appreciate what you're trying to do…to make amends is something that we've both needed to do for a long time now. And, I want you to know that I do accept your apology for the whole Sadie thing. I know in my heart what we were to each other…what we maybe could be again for each other some time in the future. But, for you to come in here making these false accusations and confessing your undying love for me only when you thought I was getting married to someone else, which, by the way, I'm NOT, it only goes to show me that right now is not the right time for us. Maybe there will nev…"

She could not get the words to come out of her mouth, stumbling blindly through what she knew was the best solution for them both right now. But, then, if this was the way to go, why did she still feel so angry at him?

"Don't say it, Marissa. You never know. Please don't tell me that you're closing us off for good. Look, I'm sorry if I misunderstood. And, I know that doing this does kinda make me look a little stalkerish," he hollowly chuckled, "but, I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't let you take such a big step without being totally honest with you about how I felt….feel. I swear that I wasn't trying to be all white knight on you…well, maybe a little bit."

There was that shy, sheepish smile that drove her crazy again. Despite her still very-present anger, she couldn't help but be touched to see that he still cared for her. God, why did this have to be so hard? Why couldn't she just let him have it without feeling any guilt? She knew the reason without even having to think about it; she still loved him. That had to explain the reason her breath involuntarily hitched whenever he was within an arm's length, the reason her heart rate increased exponentially whenever his name was mentioned. She couldn't just dismiss him as if he meant nothing to her.

Taking a deep breath, she began, "Ryan, I still love you," she admitted, capturing his eyes in a tender gaze, "And, I promise you that when I'm ready…when I'm where I need to be with myself, that you'll be the first person to know. But…unt..until then, I can't keep doing this. You, you can't keep doing this. You need to live your own life…stop deferring Berkeley and tell Volchek…you know what? Let me handle Kevin."

Ryan involuntarily cringed when he heard her call him Kevin. He wondered how she knew, but then quickly realized that she did still have eyes and ears in Newport. Hell, for all he knew, she could still be in contact with Kev…Volchek herself. Shuddering at the thought, he swallowed, silently reassuring himself that Marissa would never do that to him. He was still reeling over the new information that Marissa wasn't engaged, and he fought over whether or not to press her on what she planned to do about Paolo's lie. But, understanding that any more pressure that he applied to her right now would undoubtedly have an adverse effect, he decided to let her handle that one alone. See, people really can change.

"So," he awkwardly began, "I guess this is it then. Look, I apologize for not calling you since you've been gone. I just…I didn't know if that's what you wanted or not. I wanted to give you your space. But then, then, I did call. And, I talked to Paolo. That's when he told me that you two were getting married. I just…I couldn't….I…"

Then, she saw something that she hadn't seen from Ryan in so long. Vulnerability. Fear. He was holding tears at bay, but it was obvious that the thought of losing her upset him. Thinking about what she would do if she were in his shoes, Marissa realized that she probably wouldn't have reacted much differently. This realization softened her approach to the situation.

"Hey, it's okay. To be honest, I probably would have done the same thing if I had been in your position. So, I guess I should say thanks…thanks for still caring enough."

Breathing a sigh of relief that he hadn't known that he had been holding in, her encouragement gave him the strength to voice the words that had long been lingering in his mind. He locked his eyes onto hers, boring to unimaginable depths with just one look. Man, there was no way he was ever going to fully get over her. But, he couldn't keep doing this. It was having an adverse effect on their already tense relationship, and that was the last thing that he wanted. He swiped a hand across his sweat-stained brow, hoping to mask the nervousness that had onset with the thought of what he was about to say.

"You're right. I am sorry for barging in on your life like this. I will catch the next flight home. I never…this isn't the way that I thought this was going to go."

"Is it ever?" she posited, raising her eyebrow to signal to him that fate has never seemed destined to be on their side. "But, you know what? That doesn't matter now. You're here, and believe it or not, I am happy to see you. So, before you go…at least come see the ship. I would really like that."

Ryan felt the familiar sensation that constricted his chest whenever Marissa smiled. He swore to himself right then and there that he could live off of nothing but those smiles as long as he lived. And, that if he had to, he would give her as much time as she needed to learn how to smile again. Now that he knew Paolo was not in the picture and that she did still want to be with him, he could wait another ten years on that alone. He could and would wait for her forever.

"Plus, I'm pretty sure that my dad will be pleasantly surprised to see Hailey," she added, grabbing him by the arm and leading the two of them back to the table, where Hailey was finishing the last of her meal.

"Man, I didn't realize I was that hungry. Must be the lack of anything without soy sauce for the last few months. So…." She glanced back and forth from the two, who seemed to be a little more relaxed after that heated exchange. "Wanna get some to-go boxes and get outta here?" she posited to both of them, receiving nods from both parties in return.

"I probably should go deal with Paolo," Marissa suggested, pointedly directing this half-statement, half-question at Ryan to gauge his reaction. The last thing she wanted to do right now was to deal with another argument, but she knew that if what Ryan was saying was true, then she was going to have to confront Paolo sooner rather than later.

TBC….


End file.
